#plant if you’ve got tomato soup in there

[spiribia]

They need to make a bugsnax that’s like a huge lumbering Acanthaspis petax assassin bug and fairy bread crossover event and have little sprinkle bugs that it picks up (live for gameplay and bugsnax lore purposes) and attaches to its body and while it’s “armored” with the sprinkle bugs it’ll be too robust to be caught in traps so you have to disperse the little sprinkle bugs somehow. Splashing sauce that they hate on the assassin bug will cause them to jump ship and leave the assassin bug all naked and you can use a trap on it then. The Grumpuses should also discover an island full of carnivorous plants and there’s like a pitcher plant that looks like a cauldron and the liquid inside is an hot clear broth and bugsnax fall into it and it becomes different rich stews depending on what fell in and you can direct specific bugs in to make specific soups. This is how cooking can still win. And Venus fly traps that eat flying bugsnax and then undergo “snakification” by turning into a plant for whatever they ate, ex if they ate a sweetiefly they become a bush that grows lollipops. And grumpuses are able to eat these because they are products of intermediary organisms that have adapted to actually be able to digest bugsnax. Hello is anyone there .

[starlit-roman]

What your favorite sanders sides ship says about you in my opinion

I got this idea from @sandersontheside

Logince: Your favorite episode is why do we get out of bed in the morning and you question that too. You’re a fan of those red and blue haired character anime ships, and let’s not mention how much you love enemies to lovers. I feel like you like spaghetti with a shit ton of Parmesan, and sprite or Pepsi.

Logicality: You like sweet, wholesome ships the most and have probably either written a fan fiction about, read a fan fiction, or have thought about them baking cookies together. Also for some reason I feel like you like John Mulaney

Analogical: You like angst, not a crazy amount but you like to dip your ankles in it. Speaking of dip you probably either really like ranch or bbq sauce. And your favorite squishmallow is the bat one.

Loceit: You’re either the most chaotic person I will ever meet or you’re scarily chill about everything. You like it when all sense of right and wrong leave the room and just pure chaos despite how chaotically chill Logan and Janus are. You’ve definitely committed arson, and you’re a fan of tin cans and rainbows.

Intrulogical: You’re special, with love. I bet you watch doctor who while deepthroating packets of fun dip, sweet tarts, and/or hot tamales, I don’t have much else to say (I like this ship btw)

Royality: Opposites attract isn’t a thing that even registers in your brain, and despite what I want to think you’re probably the friend who corrupts the brains of your innocent friends and tells them about god knows what. If that’s not the case though you are the innocent friend who has surrounded themselves with not very innocent people. You like pasta with cumin. You also really like blueberries, soy sauce, and bluey.

Prinxiety: You’re correct. You prefer Ryan Gosling over Ryan Reynolds and you hate honeydew. You also probably have social anxiety.

Roceit: You like longer slow burn fanfictions and not just one shots, that along with enemies to lovers and a lot of tension. You’re definitely a maximalist when it comes to your room and you love rupauls drag race.

Moxiety: You’re a really sweet introvert and you like romance movies with happy endings. You probably like Mac Demarco and Arctic Monkeys and you like the scent of vanilla.

Moceit: (Kiss me) You really like stuffed animals and just fuzzy things in general. You’re a dog person but you like more cuddly cat-like dogs. You also like tomato soup.

Intruality: You’re super chaotic but super sweet, probably an Enfp or Entp. You like pickles and skunks and peanut butter cookies and cars 2.

Anxceit: You’re favorite social media is tumblr and you miss MySpace. You love hoodies and sweaters, your favorite season is winter, and you really like old artwork. You’re also really good at makeup, especially eye makeup

Dukexiety: You’re probably super all over the place and your rooms a mess but you know where everything is. You also really like snake plants and spiders

Dukeceit: You love the whole “He’s an idiot, but that’s my idiot” thing about this ship. If you have a roku it’s not set to the default theme and you probably like 90s-00s hiphop and you despise when your bed has crumbs in it.

Remrom: …

[taimio]

Mastering the Art of Growing Parsnips: A Fun and Informative Guide

Parsnip is a root vegetable from the Apiaceae family that is similar in flavor to carrots and is often used in stews and other dishes. It has a sweet, nutty taste and can be eaten raw, baked, boiled, mashed, and roasted. It is a great source of fiber and antioxidants, and can be a low-calorie, nutritious alternative to other vegetables.

How To Grow Parsnip: An Entertaining And Educational Guide

So you want to grow some parsnips, huh? Well buckle up, because I'm about to take you on a wild ride through the magical world of root vegetables. Growing parsnips may not sound as sexy as, say, growing heirloom tomatoes, but let me tell you, there's a certain satisfaction that comes from pulling a big, gnarly parsnip out of the ground.

First things first, you're going to need some seeds. **Make sure to choose a variety that is suitable for your climate**. Parsnips like cool weather and can take a while to germinate, so be patient. I recommend starting your seeds indoors and then transplanting them outside once the weather warms up.

Remember, parsnips have a long taproot, so make sure to plant them in loose, well-drained soil. **They won't do well in compacted or rocky soil**.

Once you've got your seeds in the ground, it's time to play the waiting game. Parsnips are slow growers, so be prepared to wait anywhere from 100 to 120 days before you can harvest them. Keep the soil consistently moist but not waterlogged, and make sure to weed regularly to give your parsnips the best chance at success.

When it comes time to harvest, you'll know your parsnips are ready when they reach about 1 to 1.5 inches in diameter. **Don't wait too long to harvest, or they'll become tough and woody**. Use a garden fork to gently loosen the soil around the plant and then pull the parsnip out by hand.

Wash your parsnips thoroughly to remove any dirt, and then store them in a cool, dark place until you're ready to use them.

Parsnips are incredibly versatile in the kitchen. **You can roast them, mash them, or even make a delicious parsnip soup**.

If you find yourself with an abundance of parsnips, you can also freeze them for later use.

So there you have it, a crash course in growing parsnips. **It may not be the most glamorous vegetable in the garden, but it sure is tasty**. Happy gardening!

For more in-depth tips on growing parsnips, check out this article on Parsnip Growing Secrets.

Learn more about gardening with Taim.io!

[aarohij]

Cooking with Convenience: Benefits of Online Chopped Vegetables for Meal Plans

Have you always wanted to create some deliciously healthy meal plans for yourself - but couldn’t do so because of the fast-moving lifestyle, tedious preparation process or expensive meal plan subscriptions? Then you’re not alone! Many people try to include vegetables in their diet for better flavor and health but just don’t have enough time to figure everything out. Worry not – we’re here to tell you how you can utilize the many benefits of Online Chopped Vegetables delivery that will allow you to create fantastic meal plans.

Online Chopped Vegetables for A Nutritious Meal Plan

Did you know that vegetables are a powerhouse of nutrients?! These contain a wider variety of vitamins, minerals, and plant compounds. Creating a meal plan with vegetables ensures that you meet your daily nutritional requirements.

These are also a rich source of dietary fiber – which aids in better digestion and boosted metabolism. Moreover, by consuming veggies, you’re going to enjoy benefits such as improved immunity, boosted metabolism, better skin and eye health, and alongside countless other benefits!

With chopped vegetables, you can easily create a meal plan and enjoy all these benefits! You won’t have to worry about the taste either, evenly chopped vegetables will allow for a perfectly and uniformly cooked meal.

Let’s look at the benefit of chopped vegetables for a meal plan in better detail -

Order Fresh Cut Vegetables to Add Benefits to Your Meal Plan

Saves Precious Time

By ordering your greens online, you’ve already saved all the time that it would take to go to a vegetable market and manually hand-pick them. The experts at vegetable delivery services do this for you – securing the highest quality of fresh produce from the local farmers' market. This allows you to save time and enjoy an uninterrupted day.

Enjoy Maximum Freshness

You will never have to worry about leftover or low-quality vegetables ever again. With an online vegetable delivery service, your veggies are secured from the farmers market and delivered to you on the day of harvest. Moreover, these vegetables are packed for maximum preservation! This allows you to consume the wholesome benefits of fresh vegetables in your meal plan.

No Need for Tedious Preparation

Once you’ve got your vegetables, you would have to wash, peel, and cut all of them before you could even think of preparing a meal… Just the thought of it sounds tiring, right?  Well, not anymore! You can easily skip all these steps by opting for cut vegetable delivery. You will have restaurant-level cut vegetables that you can simply toss in a bowl for a healthy salad, or in a pan for your favorite recipe in your meal plan!

Precise Quantity

You can choose to order precise quantities of chopped vegetables. This will greatly help with a meal plan, as you will be regulating the quantities you eat. You won’t have to worry about leftovers or waste food and will always be eating the freshest veggies.

Better Cooking

Did you know that perfectly chopped vegetables aid in better cooking? The even-sized cuts allow for a uniformly cooked and flavourful meal. Moreover, with all the preparation time that you saved – you’d likely be able to level up your cooking game too.

Guide to Creating a Meal Plan with Chopped Vegetables

It’s essential to include a wide variety of vegetables in your meal plan to obtain the wholesome nutrition of vegetables and maximize the health benefits they provide. Hence, including vegetables like spinach, kale, broccoli, capsicum, onions, tomatoes, cucumbers and more will allow you to enjoy a flavourful, colorful, and beneficial diet.

When talking about recipes – A meal plan consists of 3 daily recipes - breakfast, lunch, and dinner. You can prepare many varieties of salads or enjoy steamed, sauteed, or baked vegetables. Soups, sandwiches, curry, and wraps loaded with chopped vegetables are all great recipes you can include in your meal plan. Moreover, you can even put a healthy-homemade twist on your favorite recipes such as pizzas and pastas on the weekends.

Enjoy a Balanced Meal Plan with Online Cut Vegetables Delivery!

With chopped vegetables at your disposal, creating a well-laid-out meal plan will be much easier and faster. Order Online Chopped Vegetables to enjoy the convenience and countless health and nutrition benefits today!

[covdiggingdeep]

Lou and Akeel, Lakeview Allotments, Coventry. Plot taken on January 2021 with Lucy and Rach. Akeel: She’s stuck a cover on it to create a bit of shade… Lou: It’s a pagoda! It’s very posh. Akeel: We had loads of wood and we thought we’d build something on the shed. It took me about five days to complete, on and off, with various help from various friends who came along to help and hold hammers. It’s nice to get people down here. In total I probably spent about £20 on building it, on the screws and plastic sheets. Lou: A lot was salvaged. Akeel: Rachel’s added some guttering on to it for the water butt, it’s beautiful! Lou: We’ve got another water butt to put in place actually, a massive container. Akeel: I don’t know what’s happened here… oh no. Looks like they may have been runners. They’re dried out. Maybe they could be used in a soup once they’ve been boiled for about three days. I’ve really struggled to get to the allotment, loads of issues have been in the way of me getting here - health and work - the allotment was supposed to be somewhere to come to get away from all of that but unfortunately I’ve not been able to. Luckily Rachel has been coming, she’s still proper on it. At the moment I don’t feel like I’m part of a team and I think we’re all going to have to sit down together and say ‘come on, whip us into action Rach’ - we should talk to each other and communicate over what needs doing. It seems like for her to have done all of this is a bit unfair, maybe. I think she enjoys it but there are going to be jobs like watering, simple things that do require all of us to be on board, and the weeding. Lou: Yeah, I think so. Get a little schedule together. We have got pumpkins over there, and there’s figs on your tree again. They’re coming up, and looking really beautiful. Asparagus is coming on but that takes a few years. Look at these beans, they’re looking pretty bad ass. I’m not sure how often Rach comes to water. That’s what I mean, we do need to communicate a bit more in our allotment collective group. She gets on with what she wants to do but I think we should have an allotment meeting. Akeel: Rachel and Lucy do the majority of the planting and weeding. We have a WhatsApp group but I lost my phone so I’ve not been able to see what’s been going on. I might miss out on the produce but in some ways I’m not entitled to take any. Lou: We all do the hedge strimming and the weeding prep. Akeel: It’s just personally, the way I feel about it is that it’s not enough, what I’ve done. Coming here and seeing it it’s like ‘wow’, it makes me want to make a plan. It’s good guilt. Lou: I’m really chuffed about the pumpkins, though. They’re amazing. Last year we did the three sisters but this year we’ve moved everything around - there’s been crop rotation. So we did the pumpkins slightly differently and they’ve done really well. Akeel: Lucy built these bricks around the beans, maybe to sit on and admire the stalks! Lou: It’s so nice to come down here and pick things. It makes you want to get stuff done - it’s Virgo season now so it’s the action of doing, it’s very earthy. This is beetroot, and chard. Some beetroot has gone to seed. We’ve got loads of figs. We have a glut of onions and garlic which is awesome. Try an apple, Akeel. Akeel: Will we get into trouble? Lou: I’m going to have a cull on brambles very soon. It’s Godiva Festival and I’m working all weekend but next week I’ll come and do a war on brambles. I quite like it when you’ve had a really good day of physical activity and know you’ve done some good work. Akeel: I’d love to fertilise the ground somehow for next season. I was recently in Pembroke and kept seeing loads of seaweed everywhere on the beaches so I was thinking maybe it would be nice to do a trip to the beach and bring back loads of seaweed. It’s full of iron so would be good for the ground. Lou: If you do the nettle thing, tomatoes love that for the nitrogen. Carrageen moss is really good, very gelatinous. It’s good for your throat and if you’ve got a cold, I know that. It looks like a seaweed but it’s a moss. You boil it in milk and you drink it but if you leave it to settle, it’s like panna cotta. It’s a really good setting agent. Akeel: There’s a place out by Brinklow that has some stables and they’ve got a giant mountain of horse shit that I reckon we could help ourselves to if we ask. I don’t know enough about it but I know you have to wait quite a while for the manure to rot down. Lou: Next door has a no-dig bit on the go and I’m really interested to see how that works. They put the mulch and the cardboard and layer it up, so it’s high, and you never dig it. Our neighbour is really knowledgable about that. That’s the nice thing about allotments, people will tell you things and share knowledge about what’s good. If you were going to produce enough for a family you’d need to be here, tending to the vegetables, all the time. Akeel: It depends how far away your plot is on some occasions. To walk here sometimes makes you knackered and when you get here you want to rest. Lou: We always walk here. Once we walked on a really hot day and I just got here and lay down. I put a few plants in then walked home, I couldn’t do anything. I was just like a shell! Rach has put some plants in the pond that are really good for the wildlife and attracting frogs. Akeel: We’ve seen a few frogs in there. Lou: I just like being with the cycles and seeing it all change. Things evolve. When you’re here, I know you can hear the road, maybe there is nowhere in Cov you can’t hear roads but it’s just so peaceful you know? There’s loads of birds. Sometimes you see buzzards. Things you don’t see if you’re just plodding around town. Because we’re by Lakeview you can see all that wildlife. That’s what I like about it. Akeel: It’s nice seeing everyone’s plots around you evolve as well. The ideas people have that, over the years, have slowly taken shape. It’s a great place to come and see lots of veg and nice things! Lou: There’s a dude over there in his 80s doing everything by hand. It’s beautiful. He really tends to the earth and land. He gets here really early everyday, it’s a massive big plot. We often go have a look to see what he’s been up to.

[bukojuiice]

— genshin boys and how you take care of them when they’re sick.

ೃ ft. childe, diluc, kaeya, zhongli, and xiao x gn! reader

ೃ tags: modern au, headcanons, and tooth-rotting fluff.

ೃ 200 to 300 words per character.

ೃ genshin masterlist  ♡ mha masterlist  ♡ aot masterlist

ೃ note: if you enjoyed this, please do reblog! and if you want to be a part of my taglist, answer this form! ♡

CHILDE:

Childe has a very strong immunity system. No lame flu could ever get him. Mayhaps it's the below 0-degree temperature in Snezhnaya that helped his body grow accustomed to certain climates and temperatures? Because according to him, he "takes colds and kicks ass." However, after having too much fun and getting too competitive with Scaramouche at the Dragonspine Ski Resort, he's struck down with a terrible fever. From Sneznaya's Greatest Love Machine to sick babie in (y/n)'s care. He's not necessarily the whiny type but Childe is very helpless. Whether it was intentional or not, he couldn’t help himself at all. He forgets about the cough drops he has to drink and you have to remind him about it, when he refuses to eat Goulash fresh from Dragonspine and demands for alphabet soup, or when you're doing work in the living room and he comes up to you wrapped in a burrito blanket, asking for cuddles because "hugs are the best medicine." to which, you would reply with a hard "no." because you couldn't risk the both of you getting sick. (Even though you were craving hugs from him too.) Due to your boyfriend's stubbornness, it took a week before he could fully recover. And when he did, you bet he rushes to you, screaming, "I'm cured!" peppering you with kisses on your cheek and enveloping you in hugs that you've longed so much from him.

DILUC:

Colds are Diluc's worst enemy. Whenever he got remotely sick when he was a kid, whether it be a runny nose or a small allergy, his immune system literally betrays him. So, when he gets sick, he literally gets sick. Since then, He vowed to maintain a healthy body. You've never even seen him get a headache! It's always been Diluc taking care of you whenever you’re down with a cold. You had always wished for a moment where the tables would turn and it would be you taking care of him for once. That would soon happen on a particularly normal day. Diluc approaches you and asks if you could check his temperature. You bring out a thermometer to check if he has a fever, and it read 38 degrees. Diluc suddenly panics. His face red as a tomato and feeling woozy and lightheaded, your boyfriend wraps his arm around you for support as you bring him to your bedroom. Then, he suddenly sneezes. An adorable sniffle you did not expect to hear from your boyfriend or from anyone as handsome as him at all. It was the cutest "achoo." you've ever heard. You giggle, reaching for his neatly folded pajamas in the closet and handing it to him. "Pretend you didn't hear that." He says coldly, trying to not act embarrassed. Since that night and until he became well, you barely left Diluc’s side. He's wrapped in a blanket, his usual well-dressed get up is replaced with a dark gray hoodie and joggers, your stuffed plushies are cuddled up beside Diluc to keep him company whilst he's bed-ridden, and you're bringing him healthy and delicious meals to help him get better soon. When he had finally recovered, Diluc thought that maybe getting sick wasn't all that bad. Especially if the the one most dearest to him could love and care for him so well while he’s at his weakest.

KAEYA:

Kaeya tries to hide his cold at first. He doesn't want to make you worry too much. After all, he's not the type to get so sick easily anyway. T'was the cursed downpour of rain on that particular Wednesday night after his evening classes to blame for all of this. When you're around him, he clears his throat every time he has the urge to cough, He tries to sneeze as quietly as possible so you wouldn't hear, and he takes his daily medicine for colds behind your back. It wasn't til you accidentally hear his loud coughs whilst he was on his phone when you realized that he had a cold for the past few days now. You were a bit sad at first because Kaeya shouldn't have hid this from you, and yet, you quickly understood when he told you why. Since then, you've been taking care of him. He would lie on your lap as you apply a fever patch on his forehead, massaging his temples, as he coos adoringly at your gestures of affection. In fact, he loved the special treatment that he was getting from you  so much, that even if he was getting better, he still asked if you could rub his temples to ease the pain he's been feeling from his common colds. Although it is very clear that he's already free of his illness, you chose to play along with him. and so from then on, giving Kaeya a loving massage became a part of your daily routine, and he was loving every minute of it.

ZHONGLI:

As a herb and tea enthusiast, Zhongli is able to keep a healthy mind and body. Chamomile tea before the two of you go to bed and a scented humidifier wafting around your house to rid of the germs. However, after eating something he had ordered for the both of you on Postmates and not knowing there was seafood in it, his mild allergies suddenly strike him with a severe cold. Zhongli hates this feeling. He hates not being able to get up, water the plants, read his books, or stroll around the city with you. He had no physical energy to do anything. He kept your house as clean and as influenza-free as possible. Yet here was, on your shared bed, speaking in a nasally but cute voice, a glass of orange juice on the bedside table, and tuned in to the Discovery Channel because it was the closest he could get to the wonderful world around him whilst he was sick. "I miss hearing your soothing voice." You say jokingly, drying a hot towel so you can pat and place it on Zhongli's forehead. "I'm afraid I can't do anything right now, my love. I'm sorry. A-Actually... my body feels hot. I think I need to take a  shower." Wearing a bathrobe or else he'd shiver and have his condition worsen, you help your boyfriend take a hot bath by washing his hair and help dry it right after. Zhongli wasn't the type of boyfriend to ask for these kinds of things, but it was such a sweet gesture. You gingerly wash his hair, spread shampoo around his auburn streaks and small upward curls, and massaging his head in the process. He hums in delight whilst you giggle at his utters of praise, leaving him once you're done with your deed. After a relaxing bath that had probably defeated the colds that was plaguing him, Zhongli is back on his feet the next day. Unfortunately, you were the next victim of this stupid flu and now, it was Zhongli's turn to take care of you and making sure you would get the love and treatment that you had given him.

XIAO:

Calling your boyfriend stubborn when he's sick is quite an understatement. As a very productive person, Xiao always sets a certain amount of things to do as his goal for the day. Going to the skate park, hanging out with you, playing sports, or playing video games were just many of the activities he would do in a span of a day. But, when he catches a cold after staying up too late (sleep is for the weak! According to the Vigilant Yaksha as the mad lad had stayed up till 7 AM) after getting too invested in playing Resident Evil Village, he comes down with a flu that same afternoon. And so, his usual routine of going to the skate park, hanging out with you, and playing video games were soon to be replaced with lounging in the bed, taking medicine, being reprimanded by (Y/N) for moving too much, and feeling like shit because he can't do anything at all. You will literally shoot daggers when you see your boyfriend dashing around because he's supposed to be in bed, getting all the rest he can get. You were very strict with him, simply because you had to. Xiao was very careless after all. You were cooking dinner that same night when Xiao comes up to you, resting his chin on your shoulder, wrapping his arms around your waist and whispering, "I can go to school with you tomorrow." "Xiao... no you won't. Go to back to bed. I'll bring you the Veggie Radish Soup there." You reply harshly, paying no attention to him at all. His tsundere tendencies were showing when you deliver the soup to him and he grumbles, "Y-you don't have to take care of me like this. It was my fault as to why I got sick in the first place. I can take care of myself, you know." You raise an eyebrow, giving him a knowing yet loving look. "I know that. But, I'm doing this because I love you. You're my freaking boyfriend for petesake! Why would I not care for you like this!?"

ೃ taglist: @mignonextte @inlovewithadeptusxiao @duhsies @qimiie @kozu-zumi @volleybloop​

[tastesoftamriel]

Talviel,

I’ve always believed that fire-roasted meat, fresh bread, and good, strong mead are all you need to fill your belly…

…buuuuut Arcadia tells me that I need more fiber in my diet, and if that woman’s ever wrong about my health I’ll kiss a horker full on the mouth. In any case, that got me curious about plant-based cuisine. Have you got any recommendations from your travels across Tamriel? (Apologies if you’ve already covered this and I missed it)

Health and Happiness,

A Nord in the Midst of a Meaty Identity Crisis

Hello, friend! Luckily for you, Tamriel is teeming with delicious foods made from all sorts of wonderful fruit and vegetables. Hopefully these dishes will inspire you to expand your vegetarian menu at home!

Altmer

Of all the races, the High Elves eat the most vegetables, making their cuisine an ideal place to start. How about a warm salad with roasted butternut squash, baby carrots glazed with honey, pine nuts, and a handful of juicy pomegranate? It's simultaneously refreshing and hearty- a great vegan starter or main.

Argonians

Catapult cabbages are large plants which, when one gets too close, will deliver a mighty smack. However, creep up close, dismantle the plant, and behold: a delicious ingredient straight from Murkmire! Catapult cabbage is lovely when shredded into a salad with peanut sauce and fried rice crackers, or stewed with other vegetables.

Bosmer

Unfortunately, this time Bosmeri cuisine does not make the cut. Thanks, Green Pact!

Bretons

Quiche, but vegetables? Yes please! I love a good Breton spinach, broccoli and cheese quiche, dotted with sundried tomatoes and served with a side of salad. It's the perfect blend of hearty and healthy (and, if Arcadia allows it, tastes great with some bacon lardons).

Dunmer

Morrowind is home to dozens of edible plants, some which are an acquired taste. The most inoffensive (to outlander n'wahs) of these ingredients are probably ash yams, hackle-lo, and marshmerrow. Ash yams are a staple in many Dunmeri dishes, both sweet and savoury, while hackle-lo has a flavour reminiscent of spinach, and marshmerrow is deliciously sweet with a candy-like aroma. Use any of these ingredients in your food for an exciting twist!

Imperials

Grapes grow well in Cyrodiil, and while the fruits are often eaten or made into wine, many people forget about the edible leaves! Stuffed grape leaves, which can be vegan or filled with meat, are a deliciously unique taste of the Province, and make the perfect appetiser for any meal.

Khajiit

Southern Elsweyr is home to many wonderful edible plants, and local cuisine features plenty of fruit and vegetables! Whether it's rice, plantains, dragonfruit, durian, or pumpkins, there's something for even the pickiest of eaters. Why not try a simple, traditional vegetarian fried rice, with spicy pulled jackfruit, eggs, peas, and salted vegetables?

Nords

We grow what we can in Skyrim, and foreigners are often surprised by the number of deliciously plant-based Nordic dishes. In addition to things like potato soup and vegetable soup, you'll find fresh and warm salads, fried vegetable dishes, and much more. My personal favourite is a warm potato-and-leek salad with blue cheese, candied nuts, garlic croutons, and apples. Delicious!

Orcs

The humble radish is universally loved by Orsimer from all corners of Tamriel. While I'm not personally a huge fan of radishes myself, I am definitely partial to a traditional Orcish side dish of roasted radishes and potatoes with a brown butter and garlic glaze, served atop savoury rice porridge. This simple dish is surprisingly hearty, flavourful, and filling.

Redguards

Cacti are a common sight all across Hammerfell, and some species are also good to eat! Mashed cactus pulp makes a delightful base for spicy salsa, when mixed with onions, shredded coconut, chilis, lime, garlic, and spices. It's traditionally enjoyed with cornbread or flatbreads, and pairs well with fish and chicken, if you are able to eat either! If not, try it with coal-grilled sweetcorn or fried savoury plantains.

[mercy-burning]

Something Different

Pairing: Spencer Reid x fem!Reader Summary: Reader and Spencer go on their first date. PART 1 / PART 2 / PART 3 / PART 4 / EPILOGUE Category: Fluff, Smut 18+ (oral sex- female receiving, penetrative sex, unprotected sex- creampie) Warnings: Sex, language (As always, if there’s anything I missed, let me know what I should include in warnings! I want to be as mindful as I can about what I post. Thank you!) Word Count: 5.9k

NOTE: This was my favorite part to write so far! I hope you all love it as much as I do! I have a little epilogue planned next, and I’m not sure when it’ll be up, but I’ve really loved seeing how much you enjoyed this series! Thank you for reading! 🥰

***

Y/N had never felt as much like a teenage girl as she did that Friday night. She stood in front of her floor-length mirror, smoothing out her dress and contemplating whether or not she should change. For the seventh time. And she'd been on dates before, but this time was different. Usually she barely knew the guys she'd gone on first dates with, but she'd already slept with this guy. On more than one occasion. And every time she did, she felt herself fall deeper and deeper under his spell. She wasn't sure if he knew the full effect of what he was doing to her, always taking up space in every crack and crevice of her thoughts until she felt like she couldn't breathe.

And that was what made this date different from all the rest. She knew Spencer. She liked Spencer. And she was almost positive that after this date she would be, at the very least, a little bit in love with Spencer.

At that thought, Y/N felt her heart swell in her chest, suddenly invested in the act of making him feel the same way, if he wasn't already.

So she reverted back to her original outfit choice, something she at first thought was too sexy for a first date, but ultimately was the boldest and best option. It was satin and deep violet in color, the fabric clinging to her body in every best way possible. It landed mid-thigh and the neckline was low enough to show just the right amount of cleavage without it being too overwhelming. Her father would have told her it looked more like a dish towel than a dress, and that fact alone was enough to convince Y/N that it was just perfect. It did have thin straps though, and it was freezing as hell at night, so she added a black cardigan that added just the right amount of elegance and warmth to the look.

She paired the whole look together with black pumps and threw her hair up in a loose clip, made for easy taking-down if the night ended as well as she hoped.

Just as she was applying the last of her makeup—simple black eyeliner and mascara, complimented with tinted cherry lip balm rather than lipstick—there was a knock on the door.

"Just a second!" she called out, rushing to spritz on some vanilla perfume and give herself a final onceover in the mirror. With a final deep breath, she switched off the lights and made her way to the door, silently praying that she wouldn't fall on her face.

"Hey, pretty gi— oh..."

The second she saw Spencer in the doorway, Y/N felt her insides swarm with butterflies. The way he took her in, completely captured by her presence as his eyes couldn't decide where to linger longest utterly wrecked her.

And he looked... God, if he wasn't the most beautiful man she'd ever seen. And of course she'd seen him in some rather beautiful positions prior to right then, but his hungry eyes, practically claiming her as his own as they raked her figure accompanied by the outfit he wore and the way his hair perfectly framed his face in soft waves... It felt like she was bathing in sunlight.

He wore a white undershirt and navy suit jacket, the tie the same color only accented with red stripes, and black dress pants. If she had to describe it, she would have said he looked like he came right of the page of a magazine, and even that wasn't generous enough. She knew she should say something to break the silence that had fallen between them, but she couldn't even remember her own name.

Thankfully Spencer seemed to get a hold of himself before she did, saying, "You look... amazing. A-and that's not even the right word, I... Wow."

Y/N felt her cheeks grow hot, playing with the hem of her cardigan. "Thanks, you... You look great, too. Um, let me go grab my purse, I'll be right back."

"Wait, before you do..."

She hadn't even noticed his hand was behind his back until he brought it out, bringing with it a small gathering of flowers. Lavenders. "You brought me lavenders?" she inquired, taking them with a smile. "They're beautiful. Thank you."

Spencer seemed to rock on his feet nervously. "They're generally known for their relaxation properties, and, you know, I figured since we always seem to end up talking about de-stressing, they seemed fitting."

Y/N laughed, her face growing warmer. "That's perfect, I love them. I'm gonna go find a vase for these real quick."

As she rummaged through her cabinets for something even remotely resembling a vase, she settled on a tall mason jar she had in the back, filling it with water and placing the flowers inside, letting it perch on the kitchen counter. When she turned around she found that Spencer had made his way inside, the door closed behind him. "Unfortunately they won't last very long without soil, water, and sunlight, but if they dry up you could always use them for decorations. I noticed you have lots of dried plants in your apartment."

With a smile, she grabbed her purse off the coat rack in the living room. "Oh. Yeah, I guess I do. I've always loved pressing flowers and stuff. My mom and I used to do it all the time when I was younger, and I guess it stuck."

"That's really nice. It's definitely better than the clutter of my apartment," he says with a laugh as they both make their way to the door.

"Oh, I don't know. I like your clutter, it's rather charming."

He laughed as he opened the door and stepped aside so she could walk through. "You've only been to my apartment once, and we were a bit... occupied for you to notice, so how would you know?"

They paused in the hallway as she closed the door and looked up at him, a knowing smirk playing at his lips. She grabbed the end of his tie and tugged it a little, turning it over in her fingers as she stared at him. "Trust me, Spencer, it's hard to believe that anything about you isn't charming."

It was his turn to blush, his smirk transforming into a shy smile. She let go of his tie and grabbed his hand, lacing their fingers together before leading him down the hallway.

***

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were surprised," Y/N said once the waiter left to grab their drinks.

"Oh, I-I guess I just... I don't know why, it's just that I didn't... expect you to be a white wine person, that's all."

"You can tell what kind of wine I like?" she laughed.

Spencer returned it, brushing some of the hair from his face. "Well, I guess not, since I pegged you wrong..."

She shrugged. "You don't have to be embarrassed about that, I wouldn't expect you to have known."

"Oh, I'm not embarrassed, it's just that usually I'm better at reading people, that's all."

"Is that right?" Y/N mused, leaning forward a little. She smiled at him. "How come?"

Spencer swallowed before answering. "Well, my job... I work for the Behavioral Analysis Unit of the FBI, so my team and I study human behavior to catch killers."

Holy shit, that's so hot, she thought, silently hoping she didn't say that out loud. "Wow, so... you're a total badass, then. I gotta say, G-man, that's impressive."

He blushed under the dim light of the restaurant lights. He'd picked out this nice Italian place not too far from their apartment. Y/N had always wanted to go because she loved Italian food, but it was always too expensive and she never really had the time. When Spencer had suggested it, she practically begged him not to, insisting that she didn't want to make him spend so much money on her. In turn he told her, "I don't mind, you're worth spending a little money on," and that was that. Still she felt a little guilty, but he didn't seem to mind one bit. Not to mention the place was absolutely beautiful, easily one of the nicest places she'd ever been to. So if he was willing to do all this just to spend some time with her, then Y/N figured it was a good sign.

"What about you, what exactly is it that you do?"

Y/N shrugged a little. "Oh, well it's no fancy badass government job, but I work at a music store downtown. I just got promoted, so I'm an associate manager."

"Oh, that's great! What kind of music do you like?"

The way he genuinely looked so interested in what she had to say made her heart swell. She cleared her throat before answering. "My parents raised me on Classic Rock, so my brain is pretty much just made up of Queen lyrics, but... I listen to a little of everything. There isn't much I don't like, really, save for maybe hardcore metal. Though, some of it I've heard is okay."

Spencer laughed a little. "That's nice. I don't really listen to a variety of things, mostly classical, but... I don't know, maybe you could... introduce me to some of your favorites? Broaden my horizons?"

He almost sounded shy asking, but that only made the sentiment more endearing. Y/N smiled so hard her cheeks hurt. "Anytime, G-man."

The waiter came back with the wine then, and they got to ordering. Y/N ordered a lemon chicken piccata while Spencer settled on pasta alla norma. Of course they had a side of breadsticks and they each got a small tomato soup to sip on while they waited.

They continued to chat about their favorite things, anywhere from as general as their favorite books and movies to as random as their favorite flowers and candle scents. It was nice getting to know these tiny details. And normally this type of small talk was awkwardly necessary and devastatingly tedious, but with Spencer it felt effortless. She liked telling him about her favorite things, no matter how small they were, and just the same she liked listening to him. The way he spoke, his eyes lighting up as he talked about what made him happy made Y/N warm, feeling once again that night like she was bathing in sunlight.

That's what he was. The human embodiment of pure sunlight.

As they ate they talked a little bit about their childhoods. Spencer mentioned how it was mostly just him and his mother, and he almost seemed a little sad when he talked about it. She wanted to let him keep going, but at some point she realized that he was getting a little emotional and uncomfortable, so she made a point to respectfully change the subject, in turn telling some embarrassing childhood stories of her own. For one thing, she loved telling anyone about how she angrily chucked a remote at her brother when they were kids and gave him a permanent scar on his forehead, but ultimately she loved seeing Spencer smile, and she knew that the story would do the trick. It always did.

"Why did you do it?" he laughed after swallowing a bite of his food.

Y/N shrugged with a smile. "He was bugging me about wanting to watch something else, and it just annoyed me so badly that I decided I had enough. I should have been sorry, too, especially after being yelled at, but I really thought he deserved it. And now when people ask why he has this big-ass scar on his forehead, he has to tell them that his big sister chucked a remote at his head. It embarrasses him and it amuses me, so..."

Spencer laughed a little harder, setting his fork down and folding his hands together. "Sounds... like an interesting childhood."

"Yeah, that's putting it mildly. My brother and I did a lot of roughhousing, which would make more sense if he was the older one, but what are you gonna do?"

"So... What, you put him in headlocks and pinned him to the ground like a wrestler all the time?" he asked with an amused laugh.

"Yeah, something like that," she laughed right back.

"Well, I hope he hasn't sustained too much injury permanently over the years... Maybe one day I can ask him about it."

The thought of Spencer meeting her family gave her more butterflies, and it became evident that he was feeling the same way, because he blushed almost immediately after he said it.

"You two would probably get along really well, actually. He loves true crime and stuff, so I'm sure he'd love to talk to you about your job if that's not too forward. Plus, he reads more than I do, so I'm sure you'd find something else in common there."

"Yeah, that sounds great. I like him already."

She smiled, her heart still beating exponentially fast. A small part of her wondered if maybe talk of meeting family members was going too far for a first date, and on any other first date it would've been. But Spencer seemed to be genuinely entertaining the idea of meeting and discussing some of his life with her brother, and that was what flipped the switch. She was starting to feel it. She was starting to fall in love with him.

***

When the two of them got in the car, Spencer turned on the radio before they started their journey home— a Classic Rock station. Y/N smiled, immediately recognizing the melody to, coincidentally enough, her favorite Queen song, Who Wants To Live Forever. She told him as much.

He turned the volume up and started driving, listening to her sing along softly. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed him turning his head every once in a while, obviously sneaking a glance at her enjoying her favorite music. The thought sent a bloom of warmth through her chest as the song faded out and started playing Photograph by Def Leppard. Spencer turned the radio down just a little and nodded, turning down the street.

"I like it. I can see why it would be your favorite."

"This is another one of my favorites, too," she replied with a gentle nod towards the radio, giving him a smile. "A lot of these songs probably will be, though, I've practically been spoon-fed Classic Rock radio since I was a baby."

Then she noticed where they were. A street she didn't recognize. "Where are we going?" she asked, looking around.

"Oh. I-I know I only really promised to take you out for dinner, but there's somewhere else I wanted to show you... If that's alright?"

"It's more than alright," she reassured, placing a hand on his arm and wondering where he planned to take her.

He took her hand in his and continued down the road, the radio shuffling through more songs that Y/N recognized and sang along to. At one point she made a point of dramatically serenading Spencer with Love Song by Tesla, air guitar-ing and everything.

Soon enough they were out where she couldn't see any buildings and only a few streetlights. Y/N hummed softly along to the radio, holding Spencer's hand once again as he pulled the car over down a random road and under this large tree. In front of them she could clearly see the sun setting over the skyline, illuminating everything around them in a soft orange glow.

"It's beautiful out here," she mused as Spencer turned off the car, the radio with it.

"Yeah, I, uh... I was in a particularly stressful point in my life a few years ago, and one day I just drove aimlessly. I don't normally drive at all, but I needed something new, something different to do that I could focus on, and I just ended up here. It's one of my favorite places."

She looked over at him and smiled, running her thumb over his hand. "I find that some of the best things in life happen when you try something different."

His eyes softened as she spoke, squeezing her hand and leaning his head against the seat. "You're right. That's... actually how I got you, know know."

She raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Mhm... Yeah, I didn't even want to confront you about hearing what happened that night because I thought it would be too awkward, but... I don't know, I guess there was just something that felt right about the whole thing, like... like it was an opportunity to get to know someone new. And I couldn't stop thinking about knocking on your door and getting to know everything about this woman who likes to invade other people's privacy." He laughed as he said that last part, obviously teasing her about the whole thing, and she laughed with him.

"Well, then I guess that means I don't have to be embarrassed about that anymore," Y/N noted. "I felt absolutely awful about it, you know."

"Oh, I know. You were practically the color of a tomato when I gave you that Advil."

They laughed together as the sun sunk lower in the sky, and as the air between them grew silent, they just stared at each other, smiling. Even as the sun was leaving, Y/N could still feel its warmth radiating in the form of Spencer's presence.

***

They walked up to her door hand in hand, laughing about a joke she'd told him when Y/N realized the night was potentially over. The thought silenced her laughter, and suddenly she was nervous, like she hadn't already considered that the night would eventually have to end somewhere.

"I... I had a really great time tonight, Spencer, thank you. "

He smiled shyly in that way of his that made her just as shy. It was sickeningly cliché, she thought, feeling this way about a man she'd only just started to get to know, but she welcomed those feelings nonetheless. He was so obviously infatuated with her in a way she hadn't felt before, and it made her nervous because she didn't know how to react. All she could do was welcome and embrace his adoring glares and little touches and compliments, and hope that he knew in turn just how much she appreciated and adored him all the same.

His free hand reached out and cupped her cheek, to which she happily leaned into. "I did, too," he said softly, barely above a whisper. "We should do it again some time."

She smiled against his hand, and she didn't realize it then, but they were closer than they had been all night, toe to toe. "We should."

The world stopped for all of two seconds before he leaned down to kiss her. But something embarrassingly stopped her from letting it happen, pulling her face away just a little. "Wait. My breath probably smells like breadsticks."

Hardly the most romantic thing to say, and she regretted it the second it left her mouth.

Spencer only shrugged, smiling amusedly. "Who doesn't like breadsticks?"

That made her laugh. Hard. And she was still laughing as she pulled him closer and kissed him, wrapping her arms around his neck.

When he kissed her back, it was head-dizzyingly sweet, his hands softly brushing over her cheeks as she melted into him. Every time his lips parted, he came back stronger, pressing his lips and tongue to hers with slow, methodical precision.

She could have died right there.

But eventually they pulled apart, and she looked up at him with as much gratefulness as she could provide. "Look, I... I know it's not typically customary to sleep over on the first date, but... What about trying something different?"

Spencer grinned at her, rubbing his thumb over her bottom lip. "Lead the way, pretty girl."

She couldn't hide her blush as she reached over and opened the door, pulling him into the apartment with her.

The door closed behind him, and Spencer kissed her again, this time using one of his hands to press her to him, resting promptly on her lower back. Their kisses were just as slow and sweet as they had been in the hall, though there was a slightest shift in the atmosphere, bringing forth a newfound passion behind each of their movements.

His tongue traced over her bottom lip before he took it between his teeth and tilted his head to the other side, pulling her even closer to him than she thought could be possible. They both stumbled around the living room as they kicked off their shoes. Y/N got significantly shorter after removing her heels, so Spencer bent down and lifted her off the ground, setting her on the back of the couch. Her dress had ridden up to the tops of her thighs so she could wrap her legs around his waist. She slid her cardigan off at the same time he slid off his jacket, their lips still adjoined. Once they were removed, Y/N wrapped her arms around his neck again, and he brought his arms under her ass as he lifted her off the couch

She expected the journey to her bedroom to be rocky, stumbling into furniture and walls and tripping, but was glad to be proven wrong when suddenly she was swiftly seated on her bed, Spencer standing between her legs.

He pulled away from her for all of two seconds before kneeling and pressing kisses to the insides of her right leg, starting at her ankle and trailing all the way up past her knee and eventually to her thigh. His hands reached up to grip the bed as he looked up at her and pressed kisses to her other thigh. Hoping to give him more access, she used her hands to pull her dress up even higher, scooting out from under her butt and bunching up at her hips as she spread her legs a little wider.

He smiled against her inner thigh, running one of his hands over the other. "Patience, pretty girl. I want to take my time with you tonight."

The way he said it made her shiver, and her head leaned back as she leaned back on her hands, feeling Spencer continue his exploration. His mouth travelled from thigh to thigh, doing just about everything he could think of—kissing, licking, biting... One of her hands found themselves in his hair as she sighed out, "Please, Spencer..."

For a moment she thought he wouldn't give it to her, if only because she wasn't specific enough and that had become part of their sexual routine, but this time he granted her what she wanted, one of his hands reaching up and ghosting along her clit through the fabric of her panties.

She instinctually rutted her hips forward at the contact, which made him laugh softly, and before too long, he hooked his finger in the waistband of her underwear, sliding up her dress just a little so he could reach. She lifted herself off the bed so he could bring them out from under her, and he slowly, very slowly, slid them down her legs. His lips travelled up her leg again, taking the same care and curiosity as he had before, each second burning impatiently through Y/N's body as she took it all in.

Right as his nose brushed over her clit, he pulled away, leaving her cold and desperate. She opened her eyes and looked down at him, running a hand through his hair and silently pleading to do something.

He smiled and stood up, pressing a kiss to her neck before whispering in her ear, "Will you ride my face for me, baby?"

"Oh, God, yes," she breathed before she could think, and he laughed, his breath sending goosebumps down the right side of her body.

Spencer got up on the bed and leaned back, his head resting on the pillows as Y/N straddled him, hiking her dress up over her hips and stroking the hair from his face before hovering over it. Before she could do anything, his hands wrapped up over her thighs and pulled her down to him, not wasting any time getting to work.

The initial contact jolted her awake, and she cried out, reaching forward and grabbing the top of the headboard as she ground down on him. His tongue plunged deep into her while his nose pressed against her clit, and the more she moved, the more his tongue drew patterns, wanting to taste every inch of her until she was shaking around him. And that's exactly what happened. His tongue came up to flick and swirl over her clit, and right when he wrapped his lips around it and started softly sucking, she cried out. "I'm gonna— ohh..."

He hummed into her, encouraging her to finish, and she did, clenching her thighs around his head as he shook it back and forth, lapping up every last drop of her arousal until her thighs lost their grip. She lifted up off of him, but he brought her back down to run his tongue through her pussy a few more long, meaningful times. He finally let go of her legs, and she kneeled beside him, catching her breath.

Looking down at him she noticed how wonderstruck he was, running his tongue along his lips to still taste her, his eyes searching hers hungrily before she leaned down and kissed him. The taste of herself on his mouth made her groan, and he reached up to pull the clip from her hair. It tumbled down in a curtain around them before he tossed the clip aside and ran his hands through it, gathering it all to one side and pulling her closer to him.

As he kissed her, she brought her hand to his chest, working at his tie and struggling to get it off. He laughed against her mouth and sat up to do it for her, breaking their kiss apart. Has he undid the tie and the first few buttons of his shirt, Y/N reached back to grab the zipper of her dress, but Spencer stopped her.

"Wait. Can I?"

She nodded, turning around.

"Stand up for me," he told her.

Y/N got off the bed and felt Spencer behind her, his hands brushing her hair out of the way and slowly zipping her dress down, pressing kisses down each inch of skin that exposed in its wake, all the way to her lower back. His hands slid up her back and pushed the straps off her shoulders, then tugged the dress down to watch it fall on the floor, leaving her completely bare.

He kissed her neck and ran his hands up and down her body, eventually reaching around to cup her breasts. She sighed at his touch, leaning back against him as he rolled her nipples in between his fingers. Her hands reached back to wrap around his back and pull him flush against her, the unmistakable feeling of his hardening dick through his pants pressing against her bare ass.

"I love how soft your skin is, pretty girl," he murmured into her neck, sliding his lips down to her shoulder and biting down. She sucked in a breath, her hands removing themselves from his back and placing themselves over his own, feeling the veins strain as they kneaded her breasts. His tongue traced over where he bit down before he kissed the same spot, then he worked his mouth back up her neck and reached her jawline. She turned her head, meeting his lips and pressing herself further into him, whining at every single sensation coursing through her veins.

Eventually she'd had enough and turned fully around, breaking apart from him just to come back. She faced him and wrapped her arms around his neck once more. He leaned in to kiss her again, but she stopped him, pulling her head back and using one of her hands to grip the hair at the nape of his neck. "Tonight's your lucky night, you know..."

At her teasing tone, Spencer laughed, his eyes searching hers before giving in. "Why's that?"

She used the hand that wasn't in his hair to slide over his shoulder and down his chest, drawing patterns across the bare skin he'd left exposed after undoing the first few buttons of his shirt. Then she smiled, bringing herself closer and gripping the collar. "Because I'm on birth control now..." She leaned forward and lightly brushed her lips against his, feeling them just barely as she whispered, recalling what he'd told her a few weeks ago. "You still wanna fill up this slutty little pussy? Make me yours?"

He didn't give a second thought. Before she was aware of what was happening, Spencer had his lips crashed against hers and his arms wrapped around her back, pulling her forward so that the tent in his pants pressed right up into her bare crotch. She gasped against his mouth and reached down to take the rest of his shirt all the way off, and he let her.

Her hands fumbled with the buttons, severely close to just giving up and ripping the shirt apart but she got there in the end, sliding the fabric off his shoulders and tossing it God-knows-where as his tongue slipped into her mouth. She trailed her hands softly down his chest and stomach, making him shiver, and she relished in the feeling of his lean figure tensing under her touch. She scratched her nails along the lower part of his stomach before touching his belt, and then he stopped her, grabbing her wrists.

"Sit on the edge of the bed," he commanded softly against her lips.

Y/N pulled away reluctantly, immediately missing his bodily warmth before doing as she was told and perching herself patiently at the edge of the bed.

Spencer got off his knees, climbed out of bed, and stood on the floor, coming over to her and placing himself between her legs once more. Only this time, he towered over her rather than kneeled. His hands unbuckled his belt while his eyes bore into hers, the anticipation of what was to come as high strung as it had ever been.

He pulled his pants and underwear down in one swift motion, and right a he kicked them to the side, Y/N reached out, grabbing his hips and pulling him closer. One of his hands gripped his hard cock while the other found purchase in her hair, brushing it behind her shoulders and resting at the base of her neck as he leaned down and pushed her back onto the bed. She scooted back just far enough for Spencer to kneel on the edge of the bed, her legs instinctually wrapping around his waist once more as he kissed her.

Her hands brushed the hair from his face and stayed weaved there, whimpering with anticipation as he ran the tip of his cock along her pussy, just as slowly as he'd done everything else so far. He broke their kiss apart and pushed the tip in, not going any farther than that. "I told you, pretty girl, I'm taking my time with you tonight. I want this to last."

As his forehead rested against hers, she barely caught a glimpse of his eyes before he pushed all the way in and squeezed his eyes shut. Y/N sighed and massaged his scalp, completely aware of every inch of him as he held himself inside her. He pressed just about the sweetest kiss to her lips before setting a slow pace that gradually became faster with every passing minute. She was still a little sensitive from when he'd eaten her out, but that only added to the feeling.

"Fuck, you're perfect," Spencer breathed, pulling his head just far enough away from her so he could look her in the eyes. "You're so goddamn perfect, Y/N..."

She slid her hands down his back as he picked up his pace inside her, gasping when he hit her g-spot. "Speak for yourself," she breathed.

When she started to feel herself getting closer, Spencer seemed to notice, because he slowed his pace again and ran sloppy, passionate kisses along her jaw and neck, and she reveled in the feeling. He was all around her, consuming every fiber of her being, and she could bask in it forever if he'd let her.

"Spencer," she breathed, her hands reaching down to grip his ass as he hit inside her deeper. "Fuck... You're so good to me..."

In turn he cradled her face and kissed her deeply, moving his tongue against hers in tandem with his hips' ministrations. Her fingernails bore deeper into his skin, and it wasn't long before she started to feel an orgasm surfacing. He rested his forehead against hers again, biting her bottom lip softly as he pulled away to speak. "Almost there, pretty girl. "

Y/N removed her hands from him and brought them up to bring her face to hers again, sighing into his mouth when they reconnected. And then he grabbed her wrists softly, pinning them above her head and sliding his hands up her forearms until his fingers laced together with hers, squeezing and pushing them both closer to the edge.

"Cum for me, baby," he mumbled against her lips, and within a matter of seconds, she did. Her legs tightened around him and her ankles hooked round his waist, just above the top of his ass to keep him tightly inside her while he found his own release. "Fuck," he sighed, giving three more hard thrusts forward. He held himself inside her while he came, the warmth spreading through her being just about the best thing she'd ever felt. It was the cherry on top, the last puzzle piece falling into place, and she kissed him once more while he finished, feeling him groan in her mouth.

The two of them stayed like that, their hands still laced together and legs still tangled, and even when their lips pulled apart, their foreheads rested together while their breathing slowed.

"Have I already told you how perfect you are?" Spencer breathed, nuzzling his nose against hers.

Y/N laughed a little, nuzzling him right back. "You may have mentioned it."

"Well, it's true. Everything about you is just so..."

"Perfect?" she offered.

He laughed, kissing her once more on the lips before slowly pulling out of her and unlacing their fingers. "Yes. Perfect... But as much as I love laying here with you, UTIs are not perfect, so I'm gonna get you cleaned up. Come on."

She sat up with a grunt, not wanting to get up so soon but she knew he was right. So she let him lead her to the bathroom as quickly as they can, his cum slowly sliding down her thighs when they got there. Spencer turned on the light and closed the bathroom door, a small smile on his face as he got on his knees to help.

"I can grab some toilet pa— holy shit..." Y/N was cut off when he dragged his tongue up the inside of her leg, scooping up his mess and making his way to her pussy where he cleaned out the rest of it. She was still sensitive, so he went as gently as he could, making soft, gentle swipes of his tongue until it was mostly gone, at least not dripping down her legs anymore.

When he stood up to meet her face, she felt stunned, absolutely enraptured by everything about the man in front of her. "So, does that mean I'm officially yours now?" she asked with small laugh.

He gave her that bashful smile again, and it made her feel even better, basking in the familiarity of his boldness of sexual acts followed by instant shy demeanor. "Only if you'll have me."

Y/N grabbed his face and kissed him before looking him dead in the eye and saying, "I hope I'll always have you, G-man."

[redfoxwritesstuff]

Of Dust and Ashes: Chapter 34

AN: This bitch is back. Looking at weekly updates (I know I said that LAST YEAR than ghosted but this time I have six complete chapters written and waiting still). Dust has been difficult to think about considering the facts of the last 24 months. If it gets difficult to stay in this world, I may drop updates to biweekly to allow breathing room.

Find my other work on the Masterlist- some angst, some fluff, some sexy smut for all flavors. 

pairing: Clint x OFC Series rating: M Series warnings: adult themes, occasional smut, violence, mental health struggles- if it can be warned for, it’s probably in here at some point tbh Chapter warnings: Suicide, large game processing, talk of breastfeeding.

Kofi and Cashtag: $leeanneduyn (please never call me Leeanne- I hate my name)-

All donations and Kofi purchased and sent my way will go toward paying down my student loan debt. If every follower were to donate even just 75 cents each month, I could make my monthly payments when it resumes. I don’t expect nor hope for every follower to donate. But as the USA government won’t follow through on student loan forgiveness, I’m not above asking for help as this is a debt I was forced to take on by my abusive ex-husband.

Current balance as of 1/30/22:   $45,612.83

Chapter 34: Through the Dust

It was hard not to be impressed by the haul Clint brought in. The meat from the large bull would be enough to feed both Clint and Dee through the winter while still leaving meat for Sasha and Rachel. The trick would be using it up before it spoiled.

Sasha and Rachel would need to learn to butcher and cook the raw meat, how to store it and keep it from spoiling. It wasn’t more than so many around the country were faced with. The art of butchering and preserving meat was long lost for much of the populations within first world countries.

How many would die from starvation? How many would be killed from spoiled meat?

Clint made quick work building a smoking shack. While he would much rather have preferred to smoke the meat in large quarters, that simply wasn’t an option. It would have taken far too much time. Instead, Clint stripped much of the meat into small strips and smoked those.

They planned on spending a night or two at the clinic, using that time to prep and preserve much of the moose and teach the two women how to survive. Sasha was a far better student than Rachel but Dee still planned to teach them how to make a simple flat bread.

There were cans of soup and vegetables and bottle after bottle of partially used oil. Clint and Dee didn’t keep any oil for themselves out of the haul. Cooking oil wasn’t hard to come by yet.

People didn’t think about oil. In their cellar back at the farm house, they had jugs of olive and vegetable oils, lined in neat rows. There was no reason for them to bring any back. Fat and sugar quickly could become as valuable as gold as people rediscover the stores of energy needed to simply survive. At least, it would be if this event went on long enough.

Dee and Sasha made trip after trip to bring things inside while Clint knelt in the snow over the massive carcass of a moose, preparing it to dry and smoke. Dee was sure he would kill himself wrestling the partially dissected and dismembered beast out of the truck but somehow he managed to survive.

“Do you have another pot?” Dee asked as she and Sasha brought the last load in.

Rachel sat in a chair, attempting to nurse while looking over the pile of food. “It’s mostly flour. Flour isn’t food on its own.” She said. Her voice gave away her worry.

“You’re going to have to learn to cook differently,” Dee reminded “Eat differently too. Flour is great- you’ve got flour, water and oil. That’s all you need for a flatbread. It’s not the best but it will probably make up a good bit of your diet.”

“There’s some lettuce plants. A tomato plant. Clint brought some frozen peppers, onions. Some are jarred too. Jarred tomatoes. We’ll manage.” Sasha said.

“Is it enough?” Rachel chewed her lip. “Will it be enough?”

“It will be.” Sasha knelt by her side. “I’ve multivitamins that we’ll supplement with. Samples out the ass- Doc hated to give them out. That’ll help make sure we get everything we need and cover gaps. We’ll just do the best we can.”

Rachel and Sasha had begun to bond while Clint had been away. Dee was sure it was in part due to Lizzy. Sasha had wanted that baby in her care from the moment she saw her. Now in exchange for having Rachel stay with her, she was getting exactly what she wanted.

“Clint and I will see about finding some things for Lizzy in the next few days.” Dee offered. “Some baby toys, bassinet- things like that before we leave

“Thank you.” Rachel said in surprisingly honest sincerity while Sasha returned with a pot nearly the size of the one used to make stew.

“We don’t have much kitchen things here.” Sasha admitted. “This was the best I could find.”

“We’ll see about getting you more.” Dee assured. She didn’t want these people to die. She didn’t want them to struggle more than they had to.

Dee took the pot outside with her. The air was cold and it was just getting colder. Clint knelt over the carcass, intent on his task. The body was in pieces now. And he was stripping meat from bone. Smoke filled the rudimentary smoker, filled with thin strips of meat hung over a rack.

“How’s it going?”

“Almost done.” Clint answered, flexing red slicked fingers that surely had to feel frozen. “Just gotta wrap the pieces in plastic and pack it. A good bit should smoke up nice.”

“How much are we leaving?” Dee asked, glancing back to the clinic turned home.

“Half.” Clint answered.

Dee set to work filling the pot with snow that looked to be clean. Everything had the slightly gray tinge to it but they had to take what they could get. She packed it tightly into the pot, filling it with as much snow as she could before heading inside again, leaving him to his gruesome task.

Clint had secured them meat for the winter. The least she could do was warm water for him to be able to clean up with. That water didn’t need to be clean or pure. It didn’t need to be safe to drink. It just needed to be warm enough to thaw his fingers and wash away the red.

She set the pot on the wood stove and watched as snow melted down. There wasn’t nearly as much as she wanted but it was better than none. When it was good and hot she took the pot back outside and added more snow.

“What are you doing?” Clint asked as he wrapped the last leg in plastic and tossed it in the bed of his truck. There was some wood in the bed with the meat but little else now.

“Warm water for you to wash with.” Dee held the pot out proudly. She didn’t have the stomach to help break down the moose but she had wanted to help in her own way.

Clint smiled. White puffs mixed with the cold air with each breath. Steam floated up from the pot in Dee’s hands. Clint’s hands were smeared with gore, staining the skin though he had scrubbed them with the snow. There were smears of red on his face. His fingers likely brushed his skin when he’d bring them up to try and warm them with his breath.

Reaching up, behind his neck, he grabbed a handful of his shirt after slipping his jacket off. It’s sleeves were dark and stiff with blood. She could only guess if the blood on it was dried or frozen. The air was bitter cold and would only get more so as the evening moved on, giving way to night.

He didn’t pay the frigid air any mind though as he pulled his shirt up and off, tossing it to the side. She held the pot for him as he dunked his hands in the water. A moan slipped from him as he scrubbed the red away. He splashed the water up his forearms, washing away the red smears.

The water in the pot almost reminded Dee of the strawberry jello she would make with her children in another lifetime. The color was the same though the steam wafting up from the pot smelled only of iron.

She couldn’t figure out how he could stand there with his jacket off, his naked flesh exposed to the cold while he splashed around water that had to be quickly cooling. The droplets of pink tinged water that splashed up onto his chest and stomach had to be ice cold almost instantly.

“Much better.” He said as he flicked water from from his wet hands.

“How are you not freezing?” Dee asked, eyes trained on his body. It was not out of the normal to see him without a shirt. He would often work outside without one during the warm months. There was something alluring though, seeing him like this while surrounded by the purity of snow.

“I am. So. Cold.” He laughed, running his hands up and down his arms in an effort to smooth the goose flesh.

“Go inside, I’ll rinse this with snow.”

“Fill it with more, if you don’t mind? I’d like to rinse again.” She nodded at him as he rushed inside, not bothering to pick up his shirt or jacket.

She wasn’t sure if the jacket could be saved. If she washed it, it would probably take forever to dry. A damp coat would suck the heat out of whoever was wearing it, defeating the point. It was better to leave it, she decided.

Clint had other coats at the house. It wasn’t as if this was his only coat. As far as she knew, they had no intentions to do anything where they would be exposed to the weather. He really wouldn’t need it until they made it back to the house. The truck had a good heater and seemed reliable.

She was fairly sure that he didn’t have another shirt in the truck though. Her eyes followed him as he walked through the door. Each step had the muscles in his back flexing, twisting and bunching subtly. His body was a sight of perfection to her and she hadn’t had to share that sight with anyone until now. She found herself rather displeased to know that Rachel and Sasha would be blessed with the sight of him.

The pot was warm still. Steam curled up from the water. Rather than dumping it, she plucked up his shirt from the ground and pushed the sleeves inside. The rest of it was reasonably clean. After stripping off her gloves and coat, she pushed up her sleeves and set to work washing as much of the blood out of the sleeves as she could while keeping as much of the rest of the shirt as dry as possible.

After a few minutes, she dumped the water. It stained the ice red and in most areas melted snow and ice away, leaving patches of gravel exposed. She realized that they had been standing in what had been a parking lot. The idea that there wasn’t grass underfoot was strange though it shouldn’t have been.

In places like this, away from the cities, it was easy to forget the world that had been before. It amazed her how quickly the world seemed to move on, that she seemed to move on.

With a shake of her head, she pushed the thoughts out of her mind. It didn’t matter. She scooped up fresh snow quickly,  Scooping up fresh snow into the pot, she counted on the warmth of the pot to melt it down. What she ended up with was more like a slush but it was better than nothing. That slush combined with the heat from her hands worked well enough to rinse out the sleeves.

They weren’t clean by any means but they were cleaner. Tossing the shirt aside, she dry washed the pot with snow and packed it full again. The shirt could be washed again after Clint washed his arms. After the shirt was hung by the wood stove to dry, maybe he would wear it.

Dee shook her head at herself as she made her way inside. She was acting like a jealous school girl. It was ridiculous. The only person she could loose Clint to had turned to dust before she had ever met him. He loved her. She was the only one alive that he loved and that was what mattered. No one could threaten what they shared.

Once inside she hung the shirt from the back of a chair for now. The snow quickly warmed and melted. Clint was more than happy to scrub at his arms a second time, properly rinsing the blood from his skin as best he could. The water was only tinged a light pink when he was finished. Dee used it to rinse out his shirt a second time before hanging it up to dry.

After tossing the water outside, Clint wrapped his arms around her. Whispering in her and said “Thank you” in her ear as she leaned into him.

“For what?” Dee asked, soaking in the warmth from his chest as she turned in his arms, resting her hands on his chest.

“Washing my shirt. Getting me the water.”

“You did get us a moose, it’s only fair.”

“We make a good team,” Silence stretched as she simply let him hold her, feeling his heart beat under her hand.

“How long will we be here, really?” There was nothing she wanted more than to go home. Even though they were among people that were almost friends, it was exhausting to be aware all time time. She could slack, she could leave it to him but she wanted to hold her own weight.

“We’ll make sure they’re getting along tonight. Tomorrow we’ll go out and gather them some supplies- pots, pans and shit like that. We’ll head home tomorrow night, probably if all goes well.”

“Oh,” was all she said, it was just the plan they had agreed on earlier.

“We won’t stay another night unless we absolutely need to,” he insisted. “I promise.”

“I’m being selfish,” she resigned. She was a mother. A single mother at that. She knew how hard it was to raise children. It had been so damned hard in the world before and now? Now the odds were stacked against any single mother.

“I know.” His chin rested on her shoulder, a feat that required some slouching and must have looked comical to anyone who had seen it as he curled into her. He admitted, “I want to go home too.”

That night, they had a hearty moose stew and flatbread cooked over wood stove. Together, they took a full inventory of what little cooking supplies the clinic possessed. They worked into the night, helping Sasha set up two treatment rooms to resemble private bedrooms as well as they could. A third treatment room was well on its way to becoming a nursery.

They didn’t start to really plan in earnest until Sasha and Rachel were sound asleep in their makeshift rooms. They would help them, set them up to survive and the rest was up to them. It helped to hear him say it again. It was an icy feeling, knowing how quickly she was ready to wash her hands of the baby, of perfectly fine human beings and retreat into their isolation.

“There’s houses not too far out- we should be able to pick them up a crib or something, some other baby crap. Grab them some kitchen supplies-”

“Maybe you’ll be able to grab another moose.” She laughed, slipping her arms around his waist and admiring their work so far.

“I’d rather wait to bag another moose for a few months. If people hunt too much, their numbers won’t bounce back.”

“Even half the moose are gone.” Dee mumbled into his back.

“Even half the moose.”

They’d been talking while he slowly worked an exam bed out of the room next to where Rachel slept. There wasn’t much they could do to make it quieter but Sasha and Rachel both slept through the noise.

It was concerning, that they slept through the noise. They should have woken up. It wasn’t safe to be a sound sleeper, not anymore.

If he was honest though, if someone were to break in- these women were screwed anyway. Their best defense was in hiding. If they were lucky, they would all sleep through someone ransacking the clinic and the intruder wouldn’t bother to look in exam rooms.

~~~~~<3

Morning came and sore backs greeted the couple sleeping in front of the wood stove. The baby had woken a few times in the night and Dee had sat up, coaching Rachel through trying to nurse.

They’d managed to get a few solid latches. There was hope for Rachel’s supply to grow but Dee worried about how easily the women grew discouraged. It didn’t take long for her to ask for a bottle, though Dee wouldn’t get it until she was sure the baby had taken from the breast everything there was to give. Even then, she limited what she gave by bottle.

In the short term, it meant waking far more often in the night but it would be best to stimulate the supply. It was what they needed to do. There simply wasn’t any way to promise that they could find enough formula to keep the baby fed otherwise.

By morning, Rachel was beginning to have better luck with latching the baby to her breast. It would take time for them to both learn to feed but it was a start. The rest was just up to time and hope.

“Rise and shine,” Clint mumbled into the top of Dee’s head.

“Don’t want to,” She mumbled back, trying to snuggle closer.

“The sooner we get things done, the sooner we can go home and you can sleep through the night in a real bed.”

Making a face, Dee rolled away from him. The bed sounded good. The safety of the farmhouse sounded good. Being along sounded good. Being along together sounded good. “Fine.”

They made a breakfast of omelets and as they ate, Clint went over the care and keeping of the plants he had brought for them. He went over composting and making use of waste. He lectured the importance of being water smart and water gathering and then. When it felt like they had nothing left to tell them, they left.

Dee relaxed into the passenger seat of the truck and looked out at where Trust sat by the door. She didn’t want to leave him behind but it was better for him to rest for the day. He deserved the rest and he needed it more than he seemed willing to admit. It didn’t make it any easier to leave him behind with people she hardly trusted though.

“He’ll be fine,” Clint reassured, putting the truck in gear and slowly made his way down the long driveway.

“He better be,” She answered.

The highway was empty. There were a few tracks in the snow, mostly Clint’s. The world was so empty now and she still found that it would give her goosebumps and set her on edge.

While they looked through houses, many of which Clint had already visited on his prior visit, they didn’t speak much. The neighborhood streets had the feeling of a crypt to them. The world was dead and much of those who were left to walk through the settling dust were little more than zombies.

They split up to save time and Clint made a point to stop at the house of the man he had met before. There was no answer to his knocking and a stone settled in his stomach. He found the doorknob unlocked.

Clint didn’t want to go in but he did anyway.

He knew what he would find inside that home but he needed to find it anyway. The man lay on the couch of a neat living room. Absently, he picked up the pill bottle from the coffee table. Oxy with a whiskey chaser.

There were worse ways to go. There were better ways to go, too.

There was a throw blanket draped over the back of the recliner that would likely never be used again. Grabbing it, he spread it over the man before heading into his kitchen. It was a small decency before he took the supplies that the man had no further need for.

The snap cost the universe half of all living things. The moose population would largely survive and rebuild. The foxes, the rabbits, rats and birds would all begin rebuilding their numbers in a simple short time. They would recover. Their numbers would boom over the year.

But would man? How many more people died than were dusted? For how long would they keep killing themselves and each other before they began to rebuild?

Would they rebuild? Could they?

~~~~~<3

Again- if you’ve enjoyed my writing, feel free to send a tip my way. All tips go to the student loan balance.

@winterisakiller​​, @tnystrk-exe​​, @nonsensicalobsessions​​, @alcoholic-muffin​​, @coyotesongwriting​​, @usedtobegoodfriend96​​, @theoneanna​​, @alexakeyloveloki​​, @toozmanykids​​, @j-u-s-t-4​​, @missaphrodite23​​, @tinchentitri​​, @bambamwolf87​​, @queenoftheunderdark​​, @xoxabs88xox​​, @carissime72​​, @myoxisbroken​​​, @wegingerangelica​​, @faemapfae​​, @darylandbethfanforever9​

[canyouhearthelight]

The Miys, Ch. 150

I think for the time being, I am going to quit calling myself ‘late’ posting as long as I get the chapter up on the right day of the week *facepalm*.  Bc I am barely keeping ahead, much less remembering to queue things up.

I am so, so sorry about that....

Fair warning before anyone @s me: The French is a joke, so if I got it super wrong I am equally sorry to the degree of which it’s wrong.

Unless it’s obscene. Then I want to know so that I can laugh with you, and I am LEAVING IT.

As always, shouts out to @baelpenrose, @the-raven-fae, and @charlylimph-blog!

Heaving an enormous Dutch oven onto a burner, I turned on the heat low and started chopping vegetables. After the first celery stalk, I glanced up at Derek, who sat across from Maverick in our living room.  The quarters were shaped differently, which had distressed Derek initially, but the addition of his favorite blankets to the sofa had helped.  Currently, he was completely distracted from even Mac: staring off into space, his fingers flying and flicking with a feverish, almost convulsive movement.

Maverick glanced up at me with a smile before following my gaze. “Yep, the cyber siege continues.  He’s doing well, from what Zach told me.”

“I thought he was only supposed to attack human-managed systems,” I grumbled, thinking back to the cold shower I had been subjected to that morning. Turning back to the vegetables, I made short work of the celery before taking my frustration out on the carrots. Scooping the diced vegetables into a bowl, I started measuring out paprika, sugar, salt, pepper, basil, and oregano into another bowl.  “Where’s Sam, by the way?”

“On the way,” Maverick promised. “With Terran-style tomatoes, he swears.  And Derek is only attacking systems we manage.  When BioLab 2 was set up, we had to take over water management, to protect the lab from any sort of contamination.”

The knife in my hand, brandished at three cloves of garlic, clattered to the work surface. “Seriously?” I glared at the tap, suddenly suspicious.

“Probably get water from the console,” he winced, nodding briskly at Derek, who nodded in confirmation without stopping his tapping and flicking gestures.

Groaning, I shook my head and crushed the garlic, removed the skin, and started mincing. All that was left was to wait on the tomatoes from Sam.  The garlic was potent enough, and I wanted to avoid cutting any onion until absolutely necessary since Derek was clearly parked for the duration.

I was saved about fifteen minutes later when Conor and Sam stopped at the door.  Sam waved cheerfully and held up the requested vegetables while Conor removed his boots. A quick shuffle later for Sam to remove his own shoes, and both came to the food prep area - too small to be considered a proper kitchen - to greet me. 

First, Conor gave me a big, smelly hug and a kiss on my hair. “Did you already slice the bread?”

“Ew, you gorilla!” I laughed. “And I haven’t sliced any bread yet, I wasn’t sure how long I had and I didn’t want it to get too stale.”

“They’re toasties, love.” He shook his head with a grin before swatting me on the butt. “No one cares if the bread was a bit stale before you started.”

Over his shoulder, Derek’s head bobbed side to side. “I think someone disagrees.” I looked meaningfully past him.  To Conor’s credit, he looked sheepish.

Sam squeezed around and handed me the tomatoes and gave me a hug. “Thank you for making soup.”

“I know it’s our favorite,” I winked before shooing him out of the area. “Not enough room for more than one in the kitchen. Y’all go unwind out there, and make sure you warn Derek that I’m about to start cutting onions.”

As he held up his hands and jokingly scurried away, I turned to the stove and started cursing myself. I’d forgotten to start boiling water. Snagging a small saucepan, I got a carafe of water from the console and started rectifying that, tossing in a generous pinch of salt.  Gently, I cut an X into the bottom of each tomato and set them aside before peeling and dicing the onion.  Immediately, the onion, carrots, and celery went into a food processor.  “Derek, I’m about to be loud,” I called softly before counting to ten to give him time to cover his ears or step into the corridor.  A quick blitz later, the vegetables were perfectly between a mince and a puree.

A quick swizzle of oil went into the already-hot dutch oven before adding the mirepoix and giving it a quick stir. As if on cue, Tyche and Antoine breezed through the door, noses twitching.

“I smell food,” she announced, stalking into the kitchen.  One look at the ingredients was all it took. “Ooooo you’re making the tomato soup.”

I couldn’t help laughing. “I am, and you know I don’t have room in here for spectators, unfortunately.” Arching an eyebrow, I pointed the spoon in my hand at the table.

She wasn’t having it. “One of these days, you’re going to show me how to make that. May as well be today.”

“Nice try, but I need some secrets. Besides, the longer I argue with you, the more likely the vegetables are going to scorch. Scoot!”

She scrunched her face at me but acquiesced. As I scooped the garlic into the pot, I heard her change topics. “How much longer is the stress test? My music keeps getting mixed up with Antoine’s. I don’t mind it, but…”

Antoine smiled softly and shook his head. “But it is quite a shock to expect classical music and instead her rock starts playing.”

Personally, I liked both, but still shuddered at what he was talking about. Carefully lowering three of the tomatoes into the now-boiling water, I glanced at the sauteing vegetables and gave them a quick stir to check. “We have about six more days before the repairs start, maybe four more after that?”

Conor sighed. “I wish we could ask if anything important was being hacked, not just annoying environmental controls.”

“Plants aren’t dead yet,” Sam pointed out, tipping his bottle of water toward Conor in a practiced gesture.  Everyone laughed when, rather than being reassured, Conor leapt to his feet to check on his ‘babies’ in the room.

Cursing, I dipped the tomatoes out of the boiling water and dropped them immediately into an ice bath.  A couple pokes with my trusty spoon showed they weren’t overcooked, thankfully. “None of my information for work has been acting up,” I admitted as I started peeling them. “But Pranav advised that more critical data would either go completely missing or not show any signs of infiltration.  We won’t know until after the test is over.”

“Lovely,” Tyche drawled as she watched Conor fretting over the plants. “So it’s all or nothing.”

I shrugged and dumped the tomato paste - admittedly, from the console - into the pan of other vegetables.  When I stirred, I was satisfied that the carrots, onion, and celery had cooked down to where they were soft. “In a weird way, it makes sense. They’re testing for catastrophic data breaches, which would pull everything down, or for data theft, which you wouldn’t want to leave traces of.”

The corner of Antoine’s mouth quirked up as I dropped three more tomatoes into the pan of boiling water. “No hidden boba tea this time, that is reassuring.”

Hands still moving without hesitation, Derek whipped his head toward Antoine, paused, and turned back to where he had been staring. Derek’s version of a glare.

“That was Charly,” I responded in unexpected unison with Maverick and Conor.  I smirked while dumping the already-peeled tomatoes into the processor with another pinch of salt. “Seriously, Derek had nothing to do with that other than divine retribution.” I paused for a moment. “Although I do have to admit that the cold showers do seem to track with what Charly reported.”

That only got a shrug from Derek, which was as good as an admission.

The conversation shifted again - something Conor and Sam were working on in the aeroponics labs that I had already heard multiple details on, plus repetition.  Tuning it out, I pulled out the last three tomatoes, dropped them in the ice bath, and took a platter with a loaf of bread, sliced cheese, and butter out to the table. “Mav, can you start setting up the sandwiches?”

He went to stand, but Tyche shooed him back down. “I got it. She may not let me help make the soup on this one, but I can prep a grilled cheese with the best.” Staring me in the eye, she started cutting slices from the loaf defiantly.

I just laughed it off. This was the only tomato soup either of us liked, and she had been chasing me for the recipe for ages.  It had become a running joke at this point, so without hesitation, I moved back to the food prep area, peeled the remaining tomatoes, and gave another warning that I was going to be loud.  Some more blitzing later, the now-pureed tomatoes went into the pan of veggies along with the spices I had already measured out, the juice from one lemon, and enough water to fill the pan three-quarters full.  Leaving that to boil, I moved the boiling water off the stove and swapped it for a grill-pan.

“Sophie!” Conor cried from the armchair where he perched. “You’ve seen the plants we’re growing in the lab! Tell them we’ve managed a crop of roots!”

I winced. “Jury’s out… I’m not sure how aeroponic potatoes are going to turn out, but I can confirm they are in the process of finding out?”

Tyche’s knife fell to the table, and she moved her mouth silently in a very accurate imitation of a fish before managing to sputter. “Air-grown… potatoes?”

The confusion on Antoine’s face was painful to look at. He started to speak before stopping himself and instead pulling up his datapad, jotting a message, and flicking it out to the room.

When I read the message, the confusion was so clear that I hurt my sinuses snorting. Des pomme de terre en l’air? Pommes aeriennes? Talk about being lost in translation…. “Conor, Sam… I think Antoine has the perfect name for those if they work out. Just sayin’”

Tyche snorted and shook her head before handing me the platter, with a stack of perfectly buttered bread, two slices of cheese between every other slice of bread.  The soup had just come to a simmer, so I was stirring intently and just nodded for her to start grilling sandwiches.  Several appreciative sniffs and twenty minutes later, six bowls of soup and six matching sandwiches - three cut vertically and three cut diagonally, because it mattered and was not a battle I was willing to fight - hit the table.  Tyche politely placed the salt cellar and a pepper grinder on the table, although the glare she dished out to the collected group promised strong retaliation to anyone who touched them.

I held up half of my grilled cheese in a mock-toast. “To soup night!”

“To air potato soup, soon!” Maverick offered up with a grin, only for everyone to echo his sentiment with the exception of Derek - who just held up half of his sandwich with one hand and tapped away with the other, not even relenting to eat.

Frankly, as long as he spared a hand to eat, I couldn’t bring myself to care.  He took these tests very seriously, and generally only stopped when he was completely asleep.

Everyone dug in, but it was only after my first spoonful that I spoke up. “Considering how long it took to make sure the tomatoes wouldn’t be poisonous, I’m not sure the potatoes will be ready before we get to Von.”

Conor and Sam nodded, as did Tyche and Antoine, but Maverick stopped with his bowl halfway to his mouth.  Setting it down gently, he angled his head. “What do you mean, poisonous?”

“They’re nightshades,” Conor told him, as calmly as if he was telling us that water was wet. “Tomatoes are the only edible berries of that family, and potatoes are the only edible tubers, so we have to be extra careful.”

Maverick’s eyes grew wide and turned toward his soup. Tyche just reached out and patted his hand. “You’ve eaten this soup for years, and you love tomatoes. They’re safe, I swear.  And Sam won’t let Sophia near the new ones until he’s completely sure they’ll be okay to eat.”

Sam nodded, shoving a soup-covered wedge into his mouth. “We’re growing them in simulated Von-light, hoping that keeps the roots from creating chlorophyll.  If we’re wrong, there’s a forty-three-point-six percent chance they won’t grow at all, ten-point-five percent chance they will give you a stomach ache, eighteen-point-four percent they won’t taste good, and twenty-seven-point-five percent they will taste good and be safe to eat at the same time.”

“Meaning they won’t kill you, you might get a tummy ache, but most likely for this generation, they just won’t grow,” Conor translated.

“Hang on,” I held up my spoon. “What kind of stomachache are we talking here?”

The mad botanists looked at each other and made a few thoughtful faces. Finally, Conor nodded and Sam spoke. “Unripe apples,” he stated flatly. “But just unripe apples.”

“Oh, that’s not too bad,” I shrugged and crunched into my sandwich.

Derek finished his half-sandwich and blindly reached for another. He had it halfway to his mouth before he looked at it and dropped it back to the plate in alarm. You would have thought it tried to bite him rather than vice versa.

Antoine shook his head and reached past the vertically cut sandwich Derek had dropped and delicately handed him a diagonally cut one. “Here you go, friend.”

Glaring at the sandwich like it may betray him, he bit it viciously before going back to the screen he could only see in his mind, seemingly satisfied that the sandwich would not change into the offending shape.

I told you, it matters.

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[bearkkyou]

Thunderstorms and Late Night Kisses

And the degeneracy starts! You’re in my world now, stay or get out lmfao This is some Boyfriend x Pico shit that I can’t stop writing, it’s just a ton of fluff because i have none in my life! 1389 words total.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The weather forecast this morning was sunny, with no clouds in sight, but holy shit were they wrong. It was raining so hard that the drops sounded like someone knocking forcefully knocking on the window instead of tapping like how it should sound. Pico had taken off his headphones various times just to get up and make sure that no one was at the door. Pico loved when it rained hard, it made his house feel cooler than usual, and it was always relaxing. He continued to watch some videos on his laptop before hearing pounding once again, but this time it was on his door. Startled, he stood up, grabbing his Uzi, making sure that his footsteps were quiet and swift, as he swung his front door open and pointed straight ahead, quickly lowering his guard when he saw Boyfriend standing on his doorstep, soaked in rainwater, shaken up and nervous. “Babe, what are you doing here?” Pico ushered his lover inside, worried for him, as all Boyfriend did was stand there and shudder, clearly not in a good state. Pico immediately became concerned, and went over to Boyfriend, slowly putting his hand on his lover’s shoulder to try and snap him out of it, and the second he made contact, Boyfriend jumped and clung to Pico, hugging him tightly. “Pico… Don’t let me go, please…” Pico hugged his lover back tightly, slowly caressing his head, kissing it softly. “It’s ok, I’m here. Let’s get you in the bath, ok? You can tell me what’s wrong once you’ve calmed down. I won’t let go, ok?” Pico walked Boyfriend to the bathroom slowly, making sure not to shake him up more than he already was. He sat Boyfriend down on the toilet seat and ran a warm bath, before stripping his lover down, and setting him into the warm water. Pico rolled up his sleeves before he began to gently wash Boyfriend, planting small, soft kisses along his arms, neck and face in an attempt to calm his lover down. “Are you okay now, babe?” Pico questions softly, as he rinses Boyfriend with warm water, making sure it wasn’t too hot or too cold. “Mhm… Thank you, Pico… I just… I don’t like storms like this… The thunder and the lightning really scare me, especially if I’m home alone, and I just can’t be alone when they come. I would sleep through it if I could, but the rain is just so loud…” Boyfriend answered softly, still shaken up, but he looks calmer than before. Pico helped him out of the tub and wrapped him up in a towel before bringing him over to his room, getting a spare change of warm clothes, dressing his lover up before changing his own wet clothes. Pico had showered about 20 minutes before Boyfriend showed up, and he wasn’t about to leave Boyfriend alone just to run some hot water on his face. “Next time, I’ll go over to your house, ok? You don’t have to come here and get soaked and potentially get sick just because you don’t want to be alone.” Pico pulled out a hairdryer from one of his dresser drawers and plugged it into the wall before turning it on, softly blow-drying Boyfriend’s hair. He tried to be as calming and kind as possible, not accustomed to giving care. Pico never knew that Boyfriend was afraid of thunderstorms and he really wanted to try and do his best to calm his lover down. After a while, Boyfriend’s hair was finally dry, and Pico put the blow-dryer down on his desk. “There, now your hair is nice and dry. If you want me to do anything else, or need me to do anything else at all, let me know, ok? For now, let’s just stay in bed.” As he spoke, Pico moved Boyfriend over from the chair he was sitting on, to the cozy bed right behind them, placing him down softly. The storm only got worse as Pico laid down next to Boyfriend, opening his arms wide, accepting his lover with warm cuddles and a kiss on the head. He could feel Boyfriend’s nervous shaking, his heartbeat racing against his lower chest, and he heard how Boyfriend’s breath would hitch in his throat as the lightning struck, waiting for him to weakly exhale when the sound of booming thunder came to haunt him. Boyfriend held onto Pico tightly as if he was the only thing keeping him from blowing away in the storm, and Pico couldn’t help but blush excessively at the adoring affection, making sure to hold onto Boyfriend just as tight as a way of saying that he wasn’t letting him go anywhere. Pico rubbed small circles into Boyfriend’s back, watching him slowly but surely relax. At some point, Boyfriend had fallen asleep, and Pico stayed awake, making sure to keep him in this state of calm, not wanting his lover to wake up in a state of disarray and start panicking. The rain had significantly calmed down, the once harsh drops now becoming a quaint little patter against the bedroom window. Pico wanted to do something nice for Boyfriend before he woke up, and he didn’t know what to do, until it hit him. What’s the best thing to have on a rainy day? Soup, of course! Chicken soup, preferably, but Pico doesn’t know how to make chicken, so he thought of the closet thing that was soup related and came to the conclusion that tomato soup would work just fine. Tomato soup with a grilled cheese sandwich, who wouldn’t love that? Pico had made up his mind and decided that he would only be gone for a little bit. He slowly let Boyfriend go and covered him with a warm blanket before heading off to the kitchen to try and cook something nice for his boyfriend. He put on the apron that Nene bought him and got to cooking. Pico put the tomatoes he bought and cut in a deep oven dish, seasoned them with salt, pepper and olive oil, and stuck them in the oven while he diced up some onions and garlic. When the tomatoes were done baking, he threw everything into a pot with some butter and added some extra seasonings before letting everything simmer. While he waited, he quietly walked to his bedroom to check up on Boyfriend to make sure he was still sleeping and covered with the blanket. He opened the door just by a little crack and took a peak inside. Seeing that his lover was safe, warm and sound asleep, he closed the door and went back to the kitchen. After the tomatoes simmered for a while, he added milk and flour and stirred continuously, watching the aromatic, red liquid thicken immensely. He left it to simmer once more before making 2 grilled cheese sandwiches, one for him and one for Boyfriend. Grabbing the handheld blender, he blended the tomatoes together before pouring the soup into 2 different bowls, setting the tray on the table. He looked over at what he did as he took off the apron, and he felt extremely proud of himself, he can only hope that it tastes as good as it looks. Pico slowly walked to his room and opened the door quietly, before sitting on the bed next to Boyfriend. “Hey, babe?” He whispered softly, as he softly caressed Boyfriend’s cheek, waking him up as nicely as possible. “Mhh?” Boyfriend opened his eyes before stretching, rubbing them softly, “What happened…?” He questioned, still half asleep. “I made you some food, yeah? I bet you’re hungry, so come meet me in the kitchen when you’re fully awake.” Pico kissed Boyfriend softly, before walking to the kitchen, watching his lover soon follow behind. Pico explained that he decided to try his hand at cooking for once, and when he mentioned that he wanted to care for Boyfriend and do something nice, it made Boyfriend light up with joy as he sat down to eat. They had decided that the food that Pico cooked came out surprisingly well, considering he almost never cooks. They spent the rest of the day cuddled up in Pico’s room, stomachs full of good food, and arms full of each other’s love and care.

[nonsimsical]

All the Gentle Cottagecore Emoji Asks for Theooooo

Thank you, Karlita! Sorry it took me so long to finish these! I forgot I saved them in my drafts! Lmao

🌿 Herb: What is a scent you find relaxing?

"..Lavender and Chamomile!"

🌱 Seedling: What is something you want to begin learning?

"..I honestly don't know, lol. I'm still figuring that out."

🥛 Milk: What is a food you find comforting when you are sad?

"..Something baking! My Mom was always baking something! Reminds me of home."

🍯 Honey: What is one thing you like about yourself?

"..I don't know... I mean, I'm pretty funny. I'm also creative/imaginative."

☕ Tea: How do you take your tea?

"..Depends on the weather! And if I'm drinking tea alone or with my Mom, lol."

🌳 Tree: What is one thing in your future you are looking foward towards?

"..Mmm.... starting a family with Monty! I sometimes dream about us having a baby, or dream about being pregnant."

🍑 Peach: What is a color that makes you smile?

"..I always smile when I see the top of Monty's head bobbing through a crowd. Being a ginger has its perks!"

🌻 Sunflower: What is one thing that brightened your day today?

"..I haven't been feeling so great recently. Monty called to check on me, which always makes my day, but later surprised me by bringing my Mom's homemade chicken noodle soup. He even carried me downstairs so I could rest on the couch and watch TV if I wanted and be closer to the kitchen, lol."

🐓 Chicken: What is a comfort movie/show for you?

"...Oh, hmm.. I guess Pollyanna. My Mom showed it to me and my sister when we were little and it also reminds me of those precious moments all three of us snuggled up on the couch, watching it together."

🧵 Thread: What is a recent creative project that you are proud of?

"..Oh geeze, that'd be the house Monty and I bought. Ripping out carpet, finding original hardwood flooring underneath so trying to get those spruced up and peeling wallpaper off the walls. There has to be up to 14 layers counted now just in the kitchen alone. I shudder to think what the living room and downstairs bathroom are going to look like."

🐈 Cat: Do you have any pets? Are there some pets you really want?

"..We have a dog. A boxer, named Bear. He's the sweetest when he isn't eating my shoes."

🍅 Tomato: Have you ever gardened, and if so, what is your favorite thing to grow?

"..Yes! We don't have much of a yard to start our own garden here, but growing up my Mom ALWAYS had a garden for as long as I can remember anyways. I still go over and help her with it whenever I can."

🍃 Leaf: What is a plant you find beautiful?

"..Idk about a specific plant, but I have always loved Weeping Willows."

🐝 Bee: What is a video game that you find comforting?

"..I don't play video games. Monty is far too competitive, and I learned my lesson when I got smacked in the head with a controller, so I just stick to reading books."

🍞 Bread: Do you know how to bake bread? If so, what is something you’ve baked recently?

"..I do, actually. It's one of my favorite things to make/bake. It can be time consuming and if you do it right, you can lose yourself in the process of making it. And also take out some aggression/anger when beating the dough!" *laughs*

🐇 Bunny: What’s a song that you really like?

"..Oh no, too many just starting playing in my head! I don't think I could choose only one let alone THINK of just one."

🌲  Pine: Do you prefer the cold, or the heat?

"..The cold, definitely."

🧶 Yarn: Knitting or Crocheting?

"..Neither! I have tried everything, but can only crochet a chain! It's insulting."

🐑 Sheep: What is a comfort item you own?

"..My favorite blanket that my Dad bought me the first time my sister and I visited him in Japan. It's still so so soft after all these years. I literally take it everywhere with me. College, road trips, overnight visits."

🍓 Strawberry: Do you own any pink clothing?

"..I do, yes."

🥞 Pancake: What is your favorite breakfast food?

"..My favorite breakfast food... Banana Pancakes with Nutella."

⛰️ Mountains: Would you rather live in the mountains, city, beach, or the forest?

"..Small coastal town! Also known as Rosewood Park!"

🧸 Teddy Bear: Do you ever want to raise kids someday?

"..Yes! It's something Monty and I have always agreed on and talked about."

🕯️ Candle: What is something you can’t go to bed without?

"..Monty."

[winchester19-67]

Taking Care of You

Pairing: Dean x Reader

Warnings: Passing out, Little bit of angst, Fluff

Word Count: 1,774

Square Filled: Bed Sharing (Fluff Bingo)

Square Filled: Bed Sharing (Dean Bingo)

Request by @theichabbieclub:  Hello !!! Can I have Dean Winchester x reader? Reader has been so caught up in her work that they forget to eat. They get extremely lightheaded and stumble a little. Dean steadies them and he is worried when he finds out they forgot to eat. While he is making food they faint and land (luckily) on the couch. When he's done, he comes back,at first he thinks that they're just laying down but he kinda freaks out when he realizes that reader is unconscious. ( I forget to eat sometimes) THANK YOU🥺💚

A/N: This was written for @spnfluffbingo, @spndeanbingo, and @supernatural-jackles​ Bi Weekly Writing Challenge with the prompt. “We found each other. That’s all that matters.”

“Take a break.” You jump a bit and you turn around to see Dean walking into the library.

“I can’t,” you mumble before looking down at the book that you have in your hand. Dean walks over and carefully slides the book out of your hand before setting it down onto the table.

“Yes you can,” Dean says. You roll your eyes a bit before leaning over, but Dean blocks you before you’re able to grab the book off of the table.

“Dean…”

“How many hours of sleep have you gotten since yesterday?”

You take a deep breath. “I don’t know. Three maybe.”

“Go take a nap.”

“Dean, you and Sam told me that you need my help with this case. You two can do your part now please let me do mine.”

“You won’t be able to help at all if you keep running yourself into the ground.”

“I’m alright,” you tell Dean stubbornly as you turn around to walk over to a bookshelf. You’re halfway there when you lose your balance and almost fall to the floor.

“Woah!” Dean hollers as he throws his arm out to catch you before you face plant. He helps you to get your balance and you give him a grateful smile.

“Thanks.”

“No problem,” Dean says. “Now please go take a nap or eat something or whatever it is you need to do to take care of yourself. I’ll take over for a while and you can relax.”

“No,” you tell him. “Dean, you won’t hardly let me hunt anymore and I get it because I keep you both distracted because you worry about me too much. Fine. I’ll give up hunting. But I will not give up helping you and Sam and you are going to have to get that through your thick head.”

“Sweetheart, I’m not saying that you should quit helping us,” Dean tells you softly. “You have no clue how much Sammy and I appreciate everything that you do for us. All I’m asking is that you slow down a bit to take care of yourself.”

“I promise you that I am taking care of myself, Dean.”

“Okay, then, what all have you eaten today and don’t you dare lie to me.”

You think about it for a while before you answer Dean. “I guess that I’ve kind of forgotten to do that today.”

“(Y/N),” Dean tells you as his eyes widen a bit.

“Sorry, but it isn’t exactly a priority to me right now.”

“If you were actually taking care of yourself then it would be,” Dean tells you. “Take a seat. I’m going to go cook you something to eat.”

“Dean…” He ignores your arguing and turns to walk on out of the library anyways. Sighing, you grab the book off of the table once more and open it up.

As you read, your eyes start to lose their focus and it almost looks like the room is spinning. You get the same light-headed feeling that you’d had earlier when you tripped, so you decide to play it safe and sit down in one of the chairs in the library. It isn’t long until the entire room looks like it’s spinning once more before everything goes black.

“You didn’t give me a specific request for anything, but I know you said that you like tomato soup when you don’t feel good, so I hope that’s okay,” Dean tells you as he walks into the library carrying a bowl. Dean frowns when he sees that you’ve fallen asleep in one of the chairs. He knows that you need rest but he also knows that you need to eat while your soup’s hot. “(Y/N),” Dean says softly as he sets the bowl down onto the table in front of you. “(Y/N), sweetheart.”

Dean reaches over to gently push some hair out of your face and he frowns a bit when you don’t move. “(Y/N), you need to eat,” Dean tells you as he pushes at your shoulder a bit. He still doesn’t get a reaction out of you and his heart starts pounding a bit when he realizes that you’re not just asleep.

“Hey!” Dean hollers as he moves you a bit harder than he was. A small gasp escapes you and you slowly open your eyes. Dean lets out a breath of relief when your eyes open. “You scared me there for a minute, sweetheart.”

“I was only asleep,” you mutter as you let your eyes slide shut once more.

“Hey, don’t go to sleep until you’ve eaten a little something for me,” Dean tells you softly as he helps you to sit up a bit. “I don’t want to argue with you, sweetheart, but I gotta tell you that you weren’t just asleep. You passed out on me.”

“No I didn’t,” you mumble.

“Yes you did and now you need to try to stay awake so that you’re able to get some food in you,” Dean tells you. “I promise that I’ll let you go to sleep if you’ll eat a little bit.”

“Fine,” you sigh as you lazily reach over to grab the spoon. You have to admit that the soup feels good going down your throat, and yet the thought of curling up underneath your warm blankets and going to sleep is even more appealing. “There. I ate a little bit and now you have to let me go to bed.”

“Half the bowl,” Dean says.

“Another spoonful,” you argue.

Dean sighs. “If you eat all of it then I’ll carry you to bed and I’ll even lay down with you,” he negotiates.

“Fine, I’ll let you win,” you smile up at him.

“I know how to get my way with you,” Dean smirks as he leans over your chair to press a kiss to your cheek.

“Yeah, you think that you know me soo well,” you tease as you take another bite. When every drop of soup is gone from the bowl, you look over at Dean and hold your arms up at him. Dean chuckles as he walks over and bends down to take you into his arms. You wrap your arms tightly around his neck and you lay your head over onto his shoulder.

“Your room or mine?” Dean asks you softly.

“Doesn’t matter,” you mumble as you completely relax in Dean’s arms.

“Don’t go to sleep on me yet, sweetheart,” Dean chuckles as he carries you into his room. He carefully lays you down onto his bed and you curl up on the side that he usually sleeps on. “Scoot,” Dean laughs as he pushes you over before laying down beside of you. He wraps an arm around your waist and pulls you in tightly to him.

“Thanks for taking care of me,” you whisper into Dean’s chest.

“You don’t have to thank me for that, pretty girl,” Dean tells you softly. “But I do want you to start doing a better job of it yourself. You can’t keep running yourself down like that.”

“I know,” you breathe out. “I’m sorry, Dean.”

“I worry about you.

“I know.”

“I don’t want anything bad to happen to you.”

“I know.”

“You know a lot then,” Dean teases as he tucks your head underneath his chin. You giggle and hide your face in the side of his neck.

“How on earth did I find you?” you ask him.

“Actually, I think that I’m the one who found you,” Dean says.

“Well, one of us is wrong here and it isn’t me,” you tease.

Dean chuckles as he pulls the blankets up over you. “We found each other. That’s all that matters.”

“Agreed,” you tell him as you snuggle down deeper into his arms.

“(Y/N), sweetheart, we honestly do appreciate you helping us out but you have got to promise me that you’ll take a break every once in a while. Get out and have some fun or take a nice long bath. Eat something.”

“I get so focused on helping you and Sam that I forget to take care of myself sometimes.”

“Well, please don’t do that anymore because you honestly scared me today.”

“I’m sorry,” you frown.

“It’s just… Sweetheart, you didn’t ask to be thrown into this life yet here you are and you deserve to take a break and do the things that you love to do.”

“You didn’t ask to be thrown into it either and yet you still don’t take a break.”

“Yeah, but I could have gotten out of it if I wanted to.”

“So could I,” you tell him softly. “If I have to start taking better care of myself and doing the things that I love to do then so do you.”

“Oh, sweetheart, I do that everyday anyways,” Dean tells you.

“Oh, like what?” you ask him.

“Taking care of you,” Dean says softly. Your heart melts a bit and you turn your head up so that you can see his face.

“Seriously?”

“Yeah,” Dean smiles softly. “I mean, someone has to do it because you suck at it.” Dean grunts as you elbow him playfully and you let out a small laugh.

“I’ll do better at taking care of myself,” you tell him. “Although I don’t know why I would want to because you obviously do a much better job at it then me.”

“Ah, she admits it,” Dean laughs as you roll your eyes a bit at him.

“Go to sleep, Winchester.”

“Alright, but I’m getting up tomorrow and I’m going to cook you a big breakfast and you are going to eat so that you don’t scare me like that and pass out on me anymore.”

“Okay, Mom.”

“Brat,” Dean chuckles as he presses his lips gently to your temple.

“I’m your brat,” you giggle. “Dean, thanks for letting me sleep in your bed.”

“Like you’d have it any other way,” he chuckles.

“Your bed’s more comfortable then mine is though.”

“They’re the same thing.”

“Yeah, but you’re here to hold me and that makes it more comfortable.”

“And I couldn’t hold you just as well on your bed?”

“Yeah, but my bed doesn’t smell like you.”

“It should with how often I sleep there.”

“I don’t make the rules.”

“What?” Dean chuckles.

“I don’t know. I’m too tired to make any sense,” you yawn.

“Well, then go to sleep,” Dean chuckles as he kisses your lips. “I’m right here to take care of you if you need me.”

You smile and you let your eyes slide shut, mumbling one more thing before you let the sleep pull you under. “I’ll always need you.”

Tags: @polina-93 @adoptdontshoppets @justanotherwinchester @blue-pink-green @spnbaby-67 @deanwanddamons @defenderrosetyler @mlovesstories @akshi8278 @idksupernatural @hobby27 @emoryhemsworth @flamencodiva @therollingstoners

[mxndoscyarika]

Honeydew (Marcus Pike/Moreno x OC) | Chapter 7

Summary: Erin He moves to DC after working for the FBI in Texas and runs into a hero in disguise; Marcus Moreno. Something about him is familiar, too familiar, yet different in a way that she can’t quite place. Although confused, she can’t deny her feelings for him; perhaps, after years of regret, she finally found the one.

Warnings: food/drink mention, mention of dead loved one (Marcus’s wife), brief nudity, kissing

Ao3

Honeydew masterlist

Like my writing? Here’s my masterlist.

Author’s Note: Here’s the next chapter! I wanted to let them have a moment to just be together after everything that happened, and this was one (of many) of them. Enjoy!

“I just don’t understand why it’s not working. It doesn’t make sense.”

Sometimes she wondered why she had to be a supervisor that knew how to code. If she were non-technical, like many of her past managers, she could have simply told the developer to do some code reviews with his colleagues. Well, it wouldn't have been that simple either way, but at least she would get to go home.

Erin sighed and sat down by Brian’s desk. The empty coffee cups and notebook with scribbled ink was a familiar sight, though his desk did seem to be missing one crucial thing: a rubber duck. “Let’s just take a step back and go through the logic, ok? So we have that….”

She and the developer went through the specifications for the updates and the high-level implementations that needed to be done. It seemed like he managed to get most of the framework for the code set up; all that was left was, well, writing the code and making sure it was correct. However, the deadline for shipping the code was coming up in the following days, and he was still at the debugging stage.

Although it had been a while since she’d programmed anything in a work-related context, she thanked the CS gods that she still remembered enough to take on some of the debugging. Conveniently, Brian had prior commitments that night and needed to leave on time–as if an engineer’s shift was ever truly over. But while there were others who could help out, something told her that it would be faster if she did some of the debugging herself. After all, she’d just spent half an hour reasoning through the logic.

“Why don’t you finish up as much as you can, push your changes to the repo, and I’ll take a look later?” she suggested, scanning the code. At first glance it looked fine–as most code normally did–but there were obviously issues somewhere that caused all the tests to fail. “I have some other work to do, but if we can get everything ready within the next couple days I don’t think they will mind the update being slightly delayed.”

With that, Erin went back to making her rounds through the work area, picking up any stray folders and getting last-minute status updates from the others. The sky was already dark, any trace of the sun long gone. Normally she would be getting ready to leave soon, but there was more work to do ahead of the op she was leading.

Ignoring the vibrations of her phone, she made her way back to her office and set up her desk to keep working. One thing she’d learned over her years of experience as a supervisor was that an organized desk was crucial for concentration. If only other aspects of her life were as organized as her desk.

It had been days since she found out about Marcus’s secret identity, but she couldn’t help but still feel utterly stupid. She was stupid to think that she could move on. That she, for once, was enough.

The truth was that she was never enough. She wasn’t enough to bring Marcus back after his disappearance, and she wasn’t enough to make hiding his past life unbearable.

She would have been lying if she said she didn’t consider breaking things off. But at the same time, she couldn’t bring herself to do it. He said that he and Pike were the same, that everything they had was real. And if that was true, then maybe things would get better. They could try to make things work, and show up for each other. After all, wasn’t that what caused the mess anyways? Them not being there for each other at the most important moments?

Someone knocked on her door.

Erin didn’t look up from her work. “Come in.”

“Hi honey.”

This time she looked up, a small smile on her face. “What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be at home with Missy?”

Marcus chuckled softly. “I guess I should, but my mom convinced her to stay the night so that we could have some alone time,” he explained, sitting in the chair in front of her desk. Eyes twinkling, he lifted a paper bag. “I texted you asking what you wanted for dinner but you didn’t reply, so I got your favorite.”

Now she really was smiling. “You brought canh chua? I’m sorry I didn’t reply, I’ve been running around the department trying to get everything together.”

“It’s alright; I figured you were busy, so I wanted to make sure you at least had dinner,” he said, pulling out the container of soup along with some utensils and a couple to-go bowls. “I know you love the bạc hà, so I asked for extra. They’re in one of the small containers, so we can add them in ourselves.”

“You’re too good to me.” Erin pushed her laptop to the side so he had more room to organize the slew of containers. The tamarind-flavored soup was often a treat rather than a regular meal, one that she normally savored in the cozy atmosphere of the Vietnamese restaurant. Her heart melted a little as she realized that Marcus had to have driven across town to get it from the restaurant.

“You deserve only the best.”

Some containers were filled with jasmine rice, fragrant and pillowy. Others overflowed with toppings like aromatic cilantro, spicy Thai chilis, and crisp bean sprouts. And, as promised, there was an extra container with fresh slices of bạc hà, the spongy stem of the elephant ear plant.

Her mouth watered as she helped fill the bowls with rice and soup, letting the golden broth soak into the grains. The tomatoes and pineapple chunks were perfectly cooked and plump, brightening the salty, nearly fruity, broth.

When she pushed the bowl towards Marcus he shook his head. “You eat first, Rin. You’ve had a long day. How was work?”

“Tiring,” she scoffed lightly, adding a questionable amount of chili to her bowl. The soup was still pleasantly warm when she scooped some into her mouth, the salt giving way to the fruity sourness and inferno of chilis. She moaned in satisfaction, “This is exactly why you are my favorite person in the whole world. Thank you for bringing this, brown eyes.”

He smiled softly, adding a significantly smaller amount of chili to his bowl. “Of course, honey. Just like the old times, huh?”

At that, Erin sighed. Sometimes she forgot that her memories of Marcus Pike were really of Marcus Moreno, and it still hadn’t ceased to be jarring when that realization hit. “Yeah.”

Noticing her hesitation, Marcus looked at her apologetically. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that–”

“No, it’s okay,” she interrupted, waving him off. “I just...I missed this. Us in an office sharing food in the evening. I never thought I’d ever get to experience this again, but now you’re here.”

His eyes softened and he reached over to hold her hand in his. Stroking the back of her hand softly, he said, “I know. I missed this too.” He shifted in his seat. “And I know we can’t go back to what we were before, but I don’t want you to feel like you need to separate our memories. They’re ours, honeydew. Nothing can take that away.”

“I know,” she said, eyes burning. “I’m sorry I’m not as happy–”

“It’s alright,” he interjected gently. “It’s not your fault. None of this is your fault.”

And, if she would let him, he was going to spend the rest of his days showing her how much she meant to him. It was a mistake–a huge one–to hide from her for that long. If time was money, he’d cost her so much. Maybe he wouldn’t ever be able to give those years back to her, but he could make the most of their time in the present. Now he just hoped his paperwork would get approved at HQ.

“I’m just so tired,” she said quietly.

Of everything. Of being herself, and of feeling like the biggest fool in the world for not realizing the man she loved had been in her life eight years ago.

She’d long since stopped caring about what her colleagues thought, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t pride herself on her intelligence and knack for details. With everything, she wasn’t quite sure what hurt most: the blow to her pride, or the fact that Marcus had lied.

But deep down, a part of her was happy. He finally came back, and while the past was wrought with cracks, the future felt...secure. And if there was anything she knew about Marcus, it was that he wore his heart on his sleeve, and that he wanted to stay for the long run. She knew that, no matter what, he wanted to make things right.

“Why don’t we head home after this, then?” he suggested, lips quirked up in a small smile. “They can’t get too mad if the smartest woman in the bureau takes the night off.”

---

“Would you like to stay?” she asked, unlocking the door to her apartment. Marcus’s car was parked in the visitors’ parking area, and it was starting to get late. “You don’t have to if you don’t want to.”

“I’d love to, if you’ll have me,” he answered, heat rushing up to his cheeks when her eyes met his. Even after all this time, he couldn’t get over the way she looked when she smiled at him like that. When she looked at him like he was everything she ever wanted.

They settled into the apartment as usual, with Erin checking on her plants and Marcus helping to plug in her laptop. Something about the way Erin moved around in the space was just...right. He’d seen her navigate government buildings and sites for operations, but at home, there was a different kind of confidence about her. It was a confidence that he knew only a select few were allowed to see.

Once they reached the bedroom, Marcus kissed her forehead and went into her bathroom. “Stay here, I’ll get a bath ready for you.”

Erin let out a huff of laughter at his eagerness, resigning to putting away her bag and changing into more comfortable clothes. As much as she loved a good suit, she also loved the warmth of sweatpants and the softness of silk. But seeing as she still needed to wash up for the night, she slipped on a silk nightgown, the hem stopping just above her knees.

Eventually, Marcus returned and led her into the bathroom, presenting her with a bathtub full of gardenia-scented bubbles and steaming water. He’d also found her electronic candles, placing them strategically so she could see in the dimmed lighting.

“It’s perfect, Marcus. Would you like to join me?” she asked, biting her lip in anticipation. The bathtub was just large enough for two people, and she wanted to know what it would feel like to be with him in her most vulnerable state. After all the secrets and waiting, she just wanted more .

He shook his head, trying to not let his mind linger too long on the way her nightgown hugged her chest like liquid gold. As much as he wanted to be with her, something told him that it wasn’t the right moment. “You’ve had to take care of yourself for so long, honey. Let me take care of you, ok?”

“But what about you?”

“Don’t worry about me.” Their lips melded together as their resolve grew strained. She tasted sweet and intoxicating, and it took all his strength to not give in. “You deserve to be treated like a queen. You’re my queen, and I want to make you feel good. Is that alright?”

She hummed softly and kissed him again. A low moan escaped her lips. “You really know how to make a woman conflicted, Marcus.”

“Sorry, it’s a bad habit.”

“I know you are. I’m just glad you’re here now,” she said. Pulling away, she stepped up next to the bathtub. Slipping the straps off her shoulders, she suggested, “If you’re not going to join me in here, why don’t you get comfortable and keep me company?”

The bath felt as amazing as it looked, the hot water melting away the tension in her muscles and the bubbles acting as a blanket to keep her modesty. Well, not that she hadn’t undressed in front of Marcus, but she wanted to keep some parts of her a surprise.

After some shy laughs, Marcus stayed by her side the entire time, sitting on the edge of the tub. It was just wide enough for him to sit comfortably, close enough that they could talk softly and he could help wash her hair. The golden glow of the candles and the warmth from the bath soothed their nerves until they were just two people in love.

Relaxed and back in her nightgown, Erin sat on her bed and checked her emails one more time. Thankfully, there weren’t any that she needed to reply to.

“Careful, hot tea incoming.”

She smiled up at Marcus, who was holding out a cup of steaming pu erh tea. Accepting it, she remarked, “I’m surprised you were able to find the tea leaves.”

“It helped that I remembered that you always have a designated cabinet.”

“I guess not that much has changed after all these years,” she said, sipping from the cup. As she did, she wondered if it was just herself that hadn’t changed.

“Dance with me?”

Her eyes widened in confusion when he broke the silence. “Hm?”

Marcus held out a hand, which she instinctively reached for. “Dance with me. Please?”

It didn’t take long for her to give in, setting the cup down on the nightstand. They swayed slowly in the bedroom, moonlight streaming in. Although there wasn’t any music, it was just what they needed. They just needed a moment in each other’s arms.

Erin’s head rested against his chest, the warmth from his body sinking into her. “I missed you so much,” she said softly.

“I missed you too.”

He missed her too.

But there was still something nagging at the back of her mind. Part of her didn’t want to disturb the peace, but she also wanted answers. Maybe it wasn’t the best time to ask him. Maybe it would undo everything. Before she could stop herself, she asked, “Can you tell me about your wife? Missy’s mom? Did she..?”

Marcus sighed softly, but not out of frustration. No, it was the kind that was borne of fondness. His arms tightened around her. “Yeah. We actually met not too long after I had my documents changed back. I didn’t want to tell her. I wanted a fresh start, but I still felt very much like Marcus Pike rather than Marcus Moreno. So, I told her about my past and we went from there.” A soft chuckle. “She was definitely shocked, but it was different because she never knew me as Pike, only Moreno.”

She wasn’t you, he wanted to say.

“I’m glad she knew,” she replied, snuggling closer to him. At least he told her, the mother of his child. It was...comforting to know that he hadn’t been all alone during those years. Eight years was a long time to keep a secret. “And what about now? Do you still feel like Marcus Pike?”

“Some days I feel more like Pike,” he admitted. “But with Missy and the Heroics, I feel like I’ve settled into being Marcus Moreno. It took a few years, but….Pike will always be a part of me. It wasn’t ever not me, just…a different side.”

“I see.” When his arms shifted, Erin clung to him tighter. “Don’t leave. Please.”

Marcus kissed her temple, his lips soft and warm. “Never again, honey. I’ll be here until you’re tired of me.”

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[twstarchives]

Lilia Vanrouge・Voice Lines

Additional Voice Lines: Scary Dress event card

School Uniform - R

Unlock Card “Hehe, look, we match. Well, we have a uniform here so of course we do.”

Groovy “Isn’t it interesting how mysterious I am?”

Home Setting “Let’s act young and spritely now.”

Home Transitions “Wearing this same school uniform as all of you helps me feel young again.”

“Do you have plans after this? If you’re free, would you care to go for a stroll with me? I could use some company.”

“I’ve got club activities after class! I joined band. I’m an official band player now.”

Home Transition (Login Greeting) “What do you think? I look like a handsome, mysterious boy from every angle, don’t I?”

Home Taps “I miss the days when Malleus would start bawling whenever he couldn’t figure out how to dress himself. ...Oh, that’s not something I’m supposed to talk about.”

“Time always passes by much too quickly. It won’t be long before these days turn into nothing but memories to reminisce about.”

“You must take your classes seriously. Don’t fret; I’ll be here having fun in your place.”

“Night Raven College is truly an interesting place. You can feel magic pulsating from every corner.”

“Hehehe, did you notice? Today I was able to tie my necktie into a prettier butterfly knot than usual.”

PE Uniform - R

Unlock Card “You want to play against me? Sounds fun! Know that I’m not going to go easy on you, though.”

Groovy “I may be small. But don’t underestimate me.”

Home Setting “We should take things easy.”

Home Transitions “I’m confident in my agility, but I wish I had the chance to show it off. What do you say about going one-on-one?”

“I’ve just finished with flying. ...‘Any tips’? I just think ‘I want to fly,’ and then I can fly.”

“Oh~ Everyone knows you start crawling once you leave the cradle, but you can already walk so well on your own two feet. That’s impressive!”

Home Transition (Login Greeting) “Hah... My skin really isn’t meant for the sun. Let me rest a little.”

Home Taps “Silver and Sebek are always fighting over whose skills are the best. If you ask me, the two of them are still only fledglings.”

“The Valley of Thorns is filled with steep cliffs and mountains. It lets you strengthen your legs just by being there. You should stop by someday.”

“Could you tell me what the weather will be like tomorrow? I never have any strength on sunny days. I have to wait until nighttime to start moving.”

“Moving around makes me so thirsty... Hm? This is tomato juice. Heheh, what did you think it was?”

“What's that you’ve been doing? Are you practicing dancing? That’s not how you do it~”

Lab Coat - SR

Unlock Card “I’m good at identifying herbs: If you eat it and nothing happens, then it’s not an herb!”

Groovy “Young people are brimming with potential. Just watching them all is so energizing.”

Home Setting “Knowledge is power. Why don’t we try to work seriously?”

Home Transitions “Silver has been a good boy and easy to take care of ever since he was little. He’d fall right to sleep after eating my homemade food.”

“Are you gathering herbs? I’ll come along. I’ve seen a lot around the world so I know much about plants.”

“‘Aren’t those oversized sleeves annoying?’ Of course they’re annoying. I just put up with them because they’re cute.”

Home Transition (Login Greeting) “You have a question? Feel free to ask me; I’ve seen it all. Although, I’ve forgotten almost everything.”

Home Transition (Groovy) “The sky tonight seems like it’ll be perfect for stargazing. Would you let me view them from the yard at the Ramshackle Dorm?”

Home Taps “I’m not good at steadily measuring out ingredients. I like the phrase ‘adding things to taste.’”

“Lizard tail-and-mandrake soup has good health benefits. At least, it should in theory.”

“Are you good at labs? I just thought I’d ask. No reason.”

“If you’re too careful, you’ll never make any big achievements. It’s important to pour your heart into things! Come on, try it.”

“Hehe, do you think I’ll help you with your work if you cling to me like that? That’d be too lenient.”

Home Tap (Groovy) “Urgh... My sleeves keep falling even when I roll them up... Sorry, but could you try rolling them up for me?”

Ceremony Robes - SR

Unlock Card “He has a deep connection to these ceremony robes. ...Not me; I’m talking about Malleus.”

Groovy “I’m not good at formal events... But this is what students must do, right?”

Home Setting “Hm? Where is Malleus?”

Home Transitions “We are taking all sorts of countermeasures, and yet... I have no idea what to do. Hm? Oh, I’m just talking to myself.”

“Have you seen Silver in his ceremony robes? It feels like only yesterday he was still tottering about... He’s grown up to be such a fine young man.”

“Hm? What is it? Can’t take your eyes off me? Hehe, these robes fit you very nicely too.”

Home Transition (Login Greeting) “Oh? Where has Malleus gone? I thought we’d be going to the ceremony together...”

Home Transition (Groovy) “There’s no need to feel nervous at ceremonies. No one is born a sage; just be yourself.”

Home Taps “Honestly, this frustrates me about Malleus. If he doesn’t make it to a ceremony he immediately gets irritated and starts up that thunder again.”

“Whenever Malleus is gone, it’s up to me as the vice dorm leader to take over his duties. Now, we’ll see how he is today...”

“Life as a student is fun, but it lasts only briefly. It’s nothing more than a checkpoint on this long journey we call life. ...Heh, don’t make that face.”

“Where is my pen holder...? Oh, you found it? Thank you. I’ve never been good at finding things.”

“At that speed, there’s no way you could possibly catch me.”

Home Tap (Groovy) “You yourself have gotten rather impressive compared to how you were at the entrance ceremony. Humans develop so quickly...”

Birthday Celebration Outfit - SSR

This card was only obtainable during Lilia’s birthday event (Dec 31 - Jan 6, 2021).

Unlock Card “You’re asking how old I’m turning? Um... Well, the small details aren’t important!”

“Birthday celebrations in the Valley of Thorns involved a dignified ceremony and were very tasteful. But the casual birthday bashes this school does aren’t bad either!”

Groovy “Thank you for the birthday wishes. I’ll be sure to return the favor, so stay tuned!”

Home Setting “This outfit is proof I’m the star today. Yay!”

Home Transitions “It’s a spunky, charming, pretty boy’s birthday today. Don’t you think everyone should be fawning all over me?”

“Silver put together five cardboard boxes-worth of ingredients to make food for my birthday. Isn’t he a little too into this?”

“Kalim gave me an guitar prop that’s meant to be smashed during a performance. I can’t wait to use it.”

Home Transition (Login Greeting) “Happy birthday, me! ...I thought I might as well say it to myself for good measure.”

Home Transition (Groovy) “Life is a continuous cycle of meetings and farewells. I have to treasure this birthday, where I got to hear your wishes for me.”

Home Taps “Epel gave me a jacket with a tiger embroidered on it. It has different colors than his. Maybe sometime we can get together and match each other!”

“When I was traveling, I visited a strange country where the one whose birthday it is puts together their own celebration. I have lots of other interesting stories from my travels, if you’d like.”

“Sebek made tomato juice for me. We have a blender, but he still went out of his way to hand-squeeze them. He’s so adorable.”

“The ingredient proportions written in this dessert recipe book Trey gave me are too small... Well, I suppose I can eyeball it.”

“Sashes are accessories you wear adorned with medals. I’ve received dozens of them in my life, but this might be my first time wearing one so joyful.”

Home Tap (Groovy) “You should have some more fun. It’s my birthday, after all. Heheh. Don’t be shy.”

Duo Magic Lilia: Rook, I’m looking forward to your present! Rook: Allow me to congratulate you from the bottom of my heart, Lilia.

Tutorial “Now, let's get going. I know time is quite precious for you.”

Lv Up “Is this what they mean by ‘growth spurt’? Hehehe.”

“Alright! I leveled up.”

“School life here makes one very productive.”

Max Lv Up “My days have been so enjoyable lately, perhaps due to the fact that I’ve been overcome with so much power for the first time in a while. It’s all thanks to you.”

Episode Lv Up “Looking back, the days where I walked alongside you were always very pleasant. ...What? This isn’t a farewell. Let’s continue getting along.”

Magic Lv Up “Well, this is still far from actuality. Perhaps I’ll show you the secrets of my magic someday.”

Limit Break “Oh, dear. Is it really alright for me to get even stronger than I already am? ...Hehehe. I see. Then I must live up to your expectations.”

Groovy “Hehehe. I’m excited~ I can’t lose to the young people yet.”

Select Lesson “Yes, I’m all set! What should we get ready for?”

“You’ll lose your spirit if you’re too enthusiastic like that. Take it easy.”

“Working along with the students... How interesting. I’ll try to get motivated today.”

Lesson Start “It’s good to make the most out of your learning.”

Lesson End “Good. That was a nice lesson. So this is what life as a student is like.”

Battle Start “Hehehe. Let’s play.”

Battle Win “Don’t underestimate me, fools.”

Other

Profile Quote “Wherever could Malleus be? What, he still hasn’t arrived? Oh dear, we must search for him once more...”

January 2020 Trailer “Are you our new student? As one of your peers, let’s try to get along.”

Countdown Poster “Are you good at finding lost things? Then you are more than welcome here. Hehehe.”

Login Bonus “It’s a fluke of time that we’re able to attend the same school like this. I hope to see you again tomorrow.”

Player Birthday Wish “Wait a moment… What day is it again? Oh! Your birthday! No wonder Malleus has been antsy since this morning. I hope you continue to get along with him and the others. Please.”

[nalgenewhore]

With My Life - Chapter Four

masterlist - ao3 - last chapter - next chapter 

warnings:  (all graphic) violence, guns,  blood, smut, implied PTSD 

an: hmmm. hm. i don’t really know what to say about this chapter actually ! 

                                               Six Months Later

“Elide it’s fine already, go to lunch - you’ve been here all morning,” Darrow chided her from behind his desk. Elide flashed him a grin and scooped her papers up, resting them against her laptop. 

“I’m going, I’m going! Having lunch with that crazy niece of yours,” she teased, laughing as he rolled his eyes and waved her out of his office. 

She sighed as she closed the door behind her and went down the hall to her little office space. It was barely big enough to have her desk and one plant, let alone meetings so hers were held in Darrow’s more spacious room. 

After she put her stuff away and grabbed her jacket, Elide would be going to have lunch with Aelin, who’d she had only grown closer with over the past half year. Nehemia too - the three of them had a standing group night on Fridays where they would all convene in what was once Lorcan’s apartment and have a mellow night in. They used to go out more to clubs and bars, but Aelin hadn’t wanted to be out late or do any sort of partying for the past few months. 

It was slightly drizzling outside today - standard for fall in Varese - as she walked to her car. Even though she could’ve driven what was technically hers now, Elide had never liked driving Lorcan’s car. It lived in the parking garage and she kept it in tip-top shape, always running a finger over the black vehicle for dust. If she found any, she would carefully drive it to the car wash and top up whatever infinitesimal amount of gas she’d used.

Sometimes Fenrys came over to take it for a drive and Elide was always happy to let him take it. He always came back with red eyes to give her the keys back and Elide never questioned him. 

The drive to Emrys’ cafe was a fifteen-minute drive, all the way on the other side of the city from Elide’s school, but it was close to the studio that Aelin practiced and recorded music at so Elide never minded. 

She found a spot just behind Aelin’s green ‘67 Ferrari 275 and waited for a truck to pass before stepping out and locking her car. She looked both ways before jogging across the road and popping into the shop. 

As she put her jacket away, Elide scanned the cafe and saw Aelin had already claimed a two-seated table and had ordered them a drink each. She looked ridiculously happy and Elide couldn’t wait to find out why. Maybe she’d be able to worm it out of Aelin before their family dinner tonight. Because that’s what they were now - family. 

Aelin stood to hug her when Elide arrived at the table and they both sat down again, smiling gently. “Elide, babes, how are you? How’s that boring uncle of mine?” 

“Darrow’s great, as usual,” Elide said with a slight eye roll at their dramatics. Darrow had always claimed to be above such things, but his flair for the dramatics rivaled Aelin’s. “My research is going well, too. I’ve really narrowed down my thesis proposal, so it’s looking up.” After… it happened, Elide’s work had taken a hit. 

She hadn’t been able to think about going to school until she imagined what Lorcan would say. How he would cajole her into going and how he would neg her until she did. 

It had been hard after that too, but she still went. Still paid as much attention as she could bear and was almost present in most conversations. 

She loathed to admit, it tore at her heart to say it, but things were getting easier. Every day, every moment it was easier to breathe. To smile and sleep and to live. In a world without him, in a world where it became just a bit more difficult to find something that reminded her of him. 

They chatted idly after ordering their lunches - a soup for Aelin and a sandwich for Elide - and Elide finished her cup of tea. “Are you going to keep me waiting? I want to know your secret, Ms. Galathynius.” 

Aelin’s eyes sparkled and she broke into the largest grin Elide had ever seen. Opening her mouth, Aelin was about to tell her when Luca interrupted them with their food. “For the lovely ladies,” the young man said, bowing theatrically. 

They chuckled and spoke to him for a couple minutes before Emrys was calling him back to the kitchen and they dug in. 

Elide took a bite of her sandwich, speaking around the food in her mouth, not that Aelin would care, “So, spill. I am not waiting till tonight.”

Aelin laughed joyously, her bright laughter flitting around the intimate shop. “Let me have some soup first, ok?” She took a spoonful of her tomato soup and dipped a torn-off piece of brown bread into it before popping it in her mouth. 

Rolling her eyes, Elide stewed and silently ate, tracking Aelin’s every move until the blonde finally put her spoon down and cleared her throat, taking a sip of water. Then, she put her hands in her lap and waited for Elide to place down her sandwich, waiting eagerly. 

“I’m pregnant with- with twins.”  

The air left her lungs and Elide gaped, her jaw dropping. “Oh my gods, are you serious? How long?” 

Tears, happy ones for once, popped up in Aelin’s eyes and she offered Elide a watery smile, “Three months today. I had my appointment earlier and… I’m so happy.” 

Elide stretched her arm across the table and grabbed Aelin’s hand, squeezing it supportively, “I’m happy for you, my love. So happy.”

+*+*+*+*+*+*

The penthouse was cold when she got home. Nobody was there to greet her and putting her one jacket up on the coat rack only reminded her of how lonely she was. 

Elide dropped her laptop and bag on the kitchen island and turned the lights on. She sighed, sitting on one of the stools, and looked to the living room, the sheets and blankets she used to make up the couch to sleep on every night neatly folded on the end cushion. 

She was definitely pathetic for not being able to sleep in the perfectly fine bed upstairs, but she couldn’t. 

That was the bed they shared. He held her in that bed, kissed her, fucked her in that bed. She’d fallen in love in that bed, with the man the sheets smelled like. 

And now Aelin was pregnant. She and Rowan would have their own little babes, made from scratch. 

She should be happy. Elide was happy, but… she wanted to cry. To scream at the unfairness. They were married, they were in love and they got a baby? No, not a baby, twins. Twins.  

How was it fair for them to have everything she hadn’t known she wanted with Lorcan? Maybe it made her a horrible person, but Elide wished for a second something bad happened to them both. She cursed herself for it, reminding herself that they, too, had lost Lorcan.

Elide couldn’t help the tears and the sob that tore from her throat. She cried loudly, her shoulders shaking as she put her forearms on the marble countertop and put her head in the crook of her elbow, her cries somewhat muffled. 

I just want you back, Lorcan, Elide thought to herself. Just for a minute, ‘cause I need some help. I need you. 

No one answered and Elide wasn’t sure if she’d been expecting it. Slowly, she got up and walked upstairs, sniffling once. Elide hugged herself, turning her head to wipe her nose on the shoulder of her sweater. 

She turned on the hall light and looked around the level hardly anyone had set foot on in months. Walking to the end of it, to the door waiting there, Elide dragged her hand along the wall, looking at the bareness of it. 

She looked to her right, out the wall of windows, reaching out to press her finger against a raindrop that hadn’t yet fallen down the glass. For a few seconds, time stopped and Elide watched the rain, letting its calming pitter-patter soothe her frayed soul. 

With one shaky sigh, Elide padded the rest of the way to his bedroom and opened the door, holding her breath as she stepped over the threshold for the first time in six months.

Nothing had been changed. The sheets were still rumpled and a visible layer of dust over every surface. 

Elide ignored the disarray and walked to the bed, fingering the black dress shirt she’d worn that last morning with him. Silently, Elide undressed and donned the shirt, the cool material practically drowning her. She didn’t mind it at all and did up a few buttons before crawling into bed and pulling the thick duvet up to her chin. 

Sinking back into the plush mattress and pillows, silent tears streaking from her shut eyes, Elide thought about him. About life with him. What could have been. 

If they’d gotten married, would they have stayed here? In the middle of Varese? She’d always loved the Wendlyn countryside, maybe they would’ve moved out there, to a large property and house settled at the heart of their land. 

Elide didn’t know how long it took, but eventually imagining a life that would never be exhausted her and she fell into a deep, grief soaked slumber. 

What had once been her refuge, a gentle, comforting oblivion, was now a tragedy, something she couldn’t look away from. 

Lorcan was in a hospital room, a glass door separating them. On the bed, a dark haired boy was asleep. He must have been seven or eight and he was the spitting image of Lorcan, except he had a soft and gentle face as he dozed. 

A smile, soft and beautiful, appeared on Lorcan’s face as he looked at the child and then he turned around, facing the door and Elide. In his arms, he cradled a precious bundle - a wee little one whose arrestingly caramel eyes were wide open and staring out the room’s window towards the night sky. 

Tears burned the back of her eyes and Elide put her hand on the handle, twisting it only to find it was locked.

“E,” Lorcan said, shifting the baby to one arm and the other he stretched out to her, beckoning her in, “come in, love.” 

“I’m trying,” she said, her voice shaking. “Lor, I’m trying, unlock the door.”

“It’s already open,” he told her, a serene smile on his face. “C’mon, meet our kids. They miss you.” 

“Lor- Lorcan,” she sobbed, her voice cracking, “stop, just open the door, please, baby, I-.” Elide tried again, yanking on the handle and pressing her hand against the glass. “Let me in, please. Open the door.” 

“It’s unlocked, just open it.”

“No, no- it’s not,” she said, crying harder, “I miss you so much, please just stay with me.” 

“I will be with you always,” he promised, giving her a smile before looking down at the baby in his arms and leaning down to press a soft kiss to her forehead. “I promise.” 

It was like a bucket of ice cold water was dumped on her and Elide woke up, the sheets and duvet twisted around her, a result of her thrashing. Her chest rose and fell unevenly as she gulped down air and pressed her hands to her cheeks, her fingers coming away wet and salty.

With a heavy sigh, Elide worked on untangling the fabric wrapped around her and looked at the clock on his nightstand. 

Rowan and Aelin were expecting everyone at their townhouse at six o’clock sharp. It was nearly half past four now and she climbed out of bed, stumbling into the bathroom and looking into the mirror. 

She saw her puffy eyes, tear-tracked cheeks, and red nose. Elide looked and felt very much like shit and she breathed out slowly, trying to calm herself before she left for dinner. 

+*+*+*+*+*+*

Lorcan Salvaterre parked his car outside a very familiar townhouse. He’d gone to his apartment first, not expecting to be welcomed by an empty apartment. 

He had wondered if Elide had even taken the apartment - it wouldn’t have surprised him if she gave it to one of their friends - but her things were strewn about the place, papers overtaking the kitchen island and half-empty mugs of tea that had long since gone cold decorated the sparsely decorated unit. 

By dumb luck, his first guess that she’d be at Rowan and Aelin’s was correct because he looked out the car window to see every light on in the house and spied Fenrys through the front window, head thrown back as he laughed. 

Lorcan got out, half-jogging across the rain slick road, flipping his hoodie hood over the messy bun he twisted at the nape of his neck. If there was one thing he was most thankful for for the old women who had found him, floating face-up in the weeds and reeds, it was that when they were fixing him up, they’d left his hair alone. 

His heart beat frantically as he walked up the short steps and winced, his left shoulder stiff and aggravated from the past few days of travelling. He’d been in a small, unheard of village nestled in the heart of the Eyllwe forest, hidden away from the world. The women of the forgotten tribe had healed him like one of their own for the past six months. 

Raising his fist, Lorcan knocked thrice and waited patiently. He heard the easy conversation inside fall silent and he could hardly breathe as the door opened and Fenrys appeared, his body half behind the door and a wary expression on his face. 

Upon seeing Lorcan, Fenrys blinked hard and his jaw dropped open. Letting the door fully swing open, Fenrys hardly dared to ask, “Lorcan?” 

“Hey, pup,” Lorcan said, smiling when Fenrys launched himself at him, wrapping his arms around Lorcan’s neck. The dark haired man’s smile grew softer and he put his arms around Fenrys. He knew Fenrys was crying and he lifted one of his arms to cup the back of Fen’s head. 

By then, the others had been intrigued with the commotion and slowly peered into the hallway, all gasping when they saw Lorcan. Aelin went to greet him, her throat constricting, but Nehemia stopped her, looking sadly at her husband and his brother, whom Fenrys had thought he killed. “Just wait a bit,” Nehemia whispered, squeezing Aelin’s hand once. 

“Is he really back,” Aelin breathed, her free hand ghosting over her stomach, where she’d just begun to show. It was a thing of comfort for Aelin and she found herself touching her belly when she was nervous or anxiety-ridden. 

Nehemia didn’t have anything to say then and they watched Lorcan pull away and say words too low for anyone else to hear. Fenrys nodded and stood up, wiping his cheeks before jokingly planting a loud, wet kiss smack on Lorcan’s cheek. Lorcan rolled his eyes in good nature and wiped his cheek before looking to the others waiting, shell shocked, down the hall. “Oh, y’all having a party? Without me?” 

Rowan let out a dry sob and the two friends met in the middle of the hall, hugging tightly. “Fuckin’ bastard, piece of shite wankstain,” Rowan muttered through his tears. “Couldn’t just stay dead, huh?”

“Fuck you too,” Lorcan said, smiling widely. They didn’t say anything else, just stood there, holding each other. It was simultaneous when they pulled apart, small grins on their faces. “I missed you.” 

Rowan nodded, too emotional to say it back. Slowly, the other guys joined them and Nehemia and Aelin took their leave, retreating back to the living room. Aelin squeezed Nehemia’s hand, worrying her brow, “N… why is he back now?” 

There was nothing good about the look in Nehemia’s eyes as she glanced to the front hall. Lorcan’s return brought on too many questions, ones she couldn’t answer and ones neither Aelin or Elide would like. “We’ll figure it out,” she whispered, gently pressing her hand to Aelin’s stomach and the babes she was carrying. “We always do.” 

+*+*+*+*+*+*

“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” Elide cursed herself after she thanked her driver, Ress, and hopped out of the black town car. The building had a car service and normally, she would never use it, but after she had gotten sucked back into her work and had been asked to fetch the cake, she hadn’t felt like driving herself. 

Aelin had told her to dress nicely tonight, but Elide didn’t have time to change out of her leggings and hoodie. Throwing on Lorcan’s flannel made it look intentional so she just went with it. 

The drizzle had turned into a full downpour and she ducked her head as she raced up the stone pathway and the stairs, precariously holding the bakery box. Elide looked out over the street as she dug out her keys, doing a double take when she saw Lorcan’s car sitting pretty across the road. 

It didn’t make any sense, unless Fenrys had taken it, but she could’ve sworn she saw the only set of keys in the silver dish when she hurried out of the apartment. Logically, she understood Lorcan wasn’t back and that the only explanation was that Fenrys had taken it, but she couldn’t quell the hope that rose in her. 

Hurriedly, Elide unlocked the door and rushed inside, already rambling, “Fen, did you take Ohitekah’s car? I could’ve sworn the keys were in the key dish.” Nobody answered her and Elide paused, slowly toeing off her shoes and continuing down the hall. “Guys?” 

Elide tucked her short hair behind her ear, feeling the need to touch the chain around her neck that had once been Lorcan’s and run her fingertips up and down the cool silver links. She padded further into the house, her furrowed brows only wrinkling more and more when the house fell dead silent. “Guys, what’s happening?” 

She turned the corner into the living room and froze, her eyes immediately zoning in on Lorcan, who was sitting on the edge of the coffee table, his long legs stretched out and crossed at the ankles. With a gasp, she dropped the box, the cake no doubt smushed to bits because of her mishap. 

Elide didn’t notice anything else, couldn’t articulate a single thought as Lorcan stood and took a step towards her, approaching her as if she were a wild animal. “Hey, Lochan.” 

Elide let out a half-crazed laugh and flew towards him, crashing into his arms so hard that Lorcan rocked back a step. He banded his arms around her waist and pulled her against him, burying his face in her hair and breathing her in. 

“Hey, Salvaterre,” she whispered, her hands gripping the back of his hoodie tightly. She pressed her face into the curve of his neck, her nose cold against his warm skin. Her lips, slightly chapped from biting them constantly, brush over his pulse as she asked tentatively, “Is this real?” 

“Yes,” he promised her. 

“And you’re not leaving?” 

“Never again,” he said, kissing the top of her head. 

Elide sniffled and cried once, still menacing when she muttered, “You better not.” 

+*+*+*+*+*+*

The dark figure had been lying stomach down on the rooftop for hours, watching through the window as a family reunited. 

His back was to the window, a perfect headshot lined up as they breathed in slowly and peered through the scope, watching the target hug the petite woman, who clung to him like a lifeline.

Their gloved finger slipped over the trigger of the rifle, the metal curve as familiar as an old friend. Willing their heartbeat to slow, they closed their eyes briefly, finding the headspace they needed for the task. 

When they opened their eyes, ready for the kill, a viper’s voice crackled through the earpiece, cool and commanding, “Not tonight, dear. Let us allow them to enjoy themselves a little while longer, yes?” 

“Of course, ma’am.”

+*+*+*+*+*+*

an: ominous, no? 

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